Guilty Until Proven Innocent
by Flipper Boid Skua
Summary: Something temporary turns into a deadly habit for a certain trio of Domeheads. They arrive to the Valley and Chomper is blamed for their crimes. How could he clear his name and expose the true culprits when the grown-ups won't believe him? R&R! NOW COMPLETE!
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I do not own anything with the name of Land Before Time!

I got inspired by a very old memory from the original movie. Weird how such minor characters as those rogue Domeheads could leave an impression. But they have: when we were little, my sister and I would bonk our heads together in a rather...painful...game. Anywho, even then, I wondered...why were those Pachys attacking Cera? My first assumption was that they were trying to eat her. That stuck for a while before I learned that they were Leaf Eaters. Then it changed to them either being viciously territorial, or that they were just sadistically playing with Cera...to her obvious expense. Only thing clear to me this whole time was that those Domeheads were obviously intent to kill her. Now about the story itself, I reconsidered my initial opinion on their motives and found it to be an interesting plot to write about. So I hope you enjoy this rather dark story.

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Prologue

Hunger, starvation...It's strange what that state can do to you. It makes you think of things you never would have even considered before. With no plants to eat around here, there was only one option left for him. Sure, it was other Leaf Eaters, not his own kind. As such, they might as well be dirt. He had no issues with attacking them, even killing them if the situation called for it. But still...this? The ultimate taboo of taboos, the inconceivable? Cepher shook his head a bit, blinking before looking down at the beaten body of a young Fan-Backed Swimmer. Nearby, his two companions watched him in confusion, wondering when he'll lead them off to continue their journey to the Great Valley. But their leader wasn't moving.

Was it possible he was starting to feel sympathy for their latest victim? No, no, that's never happened before. But why else would he just be standing there, seemingly very deep in thought? One of them, a black-colored female named Pacia, stepped towards the largest member of the trio, voice surprisingly soft for her fierce appearance and demeanor.

"Cepher? Are you alright?" she asked him. Cepher didn't seem to hear her at first, still staring at the body blankly. The third in the group, a small male named Rus, also walked closer when their leader made no response. He reached out and gave a small push to get his attention. It worked and Cepher blinked again before raising his head to look at the other two as if asking what they wanted.

"Are you alright?" Rus repeated Pacia's question. Cepher nodded before looking back at the body.

"Yeah, just thinking about...something." he told them quietly, knowing the thoughts in his head was not at all good. His traveling comrades picked up on this and looked at each other, then back at Cepher.

"About what?" they both asked simultaneously. There was silence for another moment before they got their answer, this one spoken even softer than the last.

"Something bad," he informed vaguely, looking at them, sharp claws clenching and unclenching in what seemed to be anxiety. This was quite unlike him. And at this response, Pacia and Rus tilted their thick domed heads, eyes widening a little. Time to see if their hunch was correct.

"You're not feeling bad for that hatchling, are you?" Pacia asked. At this, Cepher huffed in deep disdain as he returned his attention to the corpse of said hatchling, his own eyes narrowing. It was obvious he was not pleased with their guesswork; how dare they even think he was feeling for this pathetic excuse for a Leaf Eater laying at his feet.

"Of course not." he assured them sharply, hearing them sigh in relief. But this relief was short-lived when their leader's strange look returned as he continued with one simple question: "When was the last time we had so much as a bite to eat?"

Pacia and Rus looked to each other in growing consternation at the question. Where was this going? Finally, Rus shrugged. "I don't remember."

Pacia nodded in agreement. "It's been too long really." It was true. The Bright Circle had passed over them many times from the day they were lucky enough to find some buried roots in the ground and having to laboriously dig them out of the hardened earth. And even then, it was far from a satisfying meal, hardly helping in the slightest.

Cepher grunted before very softly starting to explain to them what his mind has been saying ever since they rammed this hatchling to death. "We'll never make it to the Valley if we don't find something to eat and fast." Silence came as that was said. As much as they didn't like it, they knew he was right. They needed food, more than just a few little roots that were more trouble than they were worth, but there was no sign of anything even remotely edible nearby. Or so they thought as Cepher resumed. "It's obvious we won't be finding green food anytime soon. So if we want to survive long enough to get to our destination, we'll have to change our tactics a bit."

"What do you mean?" Pacia asked, her tail flicking to and fro. Another pause before Cepher spoke in his softest tone yet.

"We have food, all around us. We just have to let our eyes wander to what's at our feet." At this, Rus indeed looked to his leader's feet at the hatchling's body, soon understanding and jerking back in shock.

"Are you saying that we should..._eat _other Leaf Eaters?" he exclaimed more or less loudly, although his voice dropped when Cepher glared at him. He looked about to make sure nobody else was around to hear this before looking back to the largest member and speaking softly. "Are you?"

"Yes. I am."

At this confirmation, Pacia backed up a few steps, a look of horror on her face. "But we're _Leaf _Eaters. Not sharpteeth. We couldn't possibly-" Cepher cut her off, his voice still a conspiring whisper.

"Look, it's either that or we die. We're not going to make it to the Great Valley if all we do is forage for weeks on end for leaves that aren't there. Yet we meet up with trespassing hatchlings like this one practically everyday. We kill the majority of them anyway, so we might as well make some use of them."

"But we're not sharpteeth." Pacia repeated. "We're not made to eat meat..." she added, looking down at the body like it was going to rise up from the dead and attack them for having this conversation. Rus shared her look and gave a nod.

"Yeah. We might have the claws and teeth of a sharptooth, but not the appetite or stomach of one. For all we know, eating another Leaf Eater might do more harm than good."

"We won't know that if we don't try. Really, we have no other choice." He looked at them for a long time before changing his approach. "You both want to live, right?" This got a nod. "You want to reach the Valley, right?" Another nod. "And you're both starving, right?" Yet another nod, this one more hesitant. "Then what's the deal? The other Leaf Eaters and the other Domeheads won't know we're doing it. If anything, there's no reason to pass up this opportunity."

"There is a reason. It's called right and wrong." Pacia said. "Look, the other herds of Leaf eaters are low-lives, I admit. Some deserve to die by our claws. But eating them is more than crossing the line. Following a sharptooth's example will make us no better than the sharptooth itself." A couple more moments of silence passed before she shook her head. "No. No. This is where I put my foot down. I won't eat the flesh of another."

"Me neither." Rus agreed.

Cepher glared at them before softening, fully understanding what they're saying and, deep down, he agreed with them. Domeheads may be one of the most vicious of the Leaf Eaters, but even they had a sense of morals...to some extent. Unfortunately, his stomach had no such morals and it growled loudly, reminding him and the others of their extremely dangerous level of hunger. "I'm not liking the idea either, trust me. But like I said, we have no choice." He turned back to the body, frowning a bit. "It'll only be temporary anyway, only until we reach the Valley."

More silence, but even that was broken by more growls, this time coming from the stomachs of the other two. Their spirits sagged noticeably as their resolve began to break down and they looked at each other before Rus muttered very softly. "Only temporary?" Cepher nodded slightly. "Then we'll be right back to eating green food?"

"Exactly. And on the chance we find more green food on our journey, we'll enjoy them like we normally would. It's not like we'll be forsaking leaves forever."

More silence, shattered this time by Pacia. "And we won't actually..._hunt down_ the other Leaf Eaters, right?"

"Of course not. We'll be doing exactly what we've always been doing, with just the little twist of eating what we kill. But we won't be actively stalking them or anything; we won't kill more than we usually do. In fact, we won't be changing much of anything, really."

"We'll just be eating them instead of leaving them for the sharpteeth..." the female continued with a meekness that was uncharacteristic for her.

"Precisely. They're gonna get eaten anyways, why not let it be us who eats them?" He watched the duo before him for a while before adding. "What else do we have to lose?"

This time, the silence went on undisturbed and was almost suffocating as nobody moved a muscle for what seemed like forever. Finally considering their very few options and choices, the two smaller members nodded very slightly, almost shamefully and they approached the hatchling as Cepher leaned down to sniff it a bit. He was hesitant as well, but determined to eat something. Clawing the carcass a bit, he took his first tentative bite. Pacia and Rus watched in disgust, to see how Cepher would react to this carnivorous action. Their leader wore a heavy grimace and he retched a few times, trying to keep the piece of meat in his mouth, but not wanting it in there at the same time. It was obvious he felt deep shame about this, like it was something truly evil, but he wasn't going to let that stop him from doing this. Dying of starvation was not the way he wanted to go. He couldn't really bring himself to chew it and just swallowed hard, panting heavily afterwards, as if exhausted by the effort of fighting his gag reflexes. After a moment of recovering from the deed, he reluctantly took another bite.

Pacia and Rus, seeing this, fought back their horror at the spectacle and at the knowledge that they'd have to follow the example as they stepped even closer to the body to give this a try themselves. They had pretty much the same reaction as Cepher, Rus actually spitting out his piece before forcing himself to try again. Each could only manage a few small bites, enough to take the edge off their hunger, before they hurriedly backed away from the body in revulsion at what they just had to do.

"That was...That was horrible..." Pacia muttered, rubbing her snout against the ground in an attempt to wipe off the blood without having to touch it with her hands.

"I don't want to do that again..." Rus added, trying to keep down what he nibbled off the carcass.

"We'll have to... We just gotta get used to it..." Cepher said as he gingerly laid himself down, not feeling too well as his stomach tried to cope with this sudden change of diet. "It'll get easier...eventually..." He wasn't sure if that was true, but he felt the need to reassure his companions as well as himself. The others nodded half-heartedly as they laid down in turn, neither feeling very good as they tried to keep their stomachs calm. Their stomachs weren't cooperating and neither were their minds, which were practically flooded with the feeling of shame and self-loathing for their unnatural actions.

But thank goodness it's all just temporary...

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Just a prologue of what's to come. It's a bit different from my other LBT stories as it'll actually have chapters, and the main characters here aren't really main characters in the movies and whatnot. Anywho, I hope guys like this and I'll get started on the next chappy asap!


	2. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own anything with the name of Land Before Time!

Special thanks to Queen Ghidorah for reviewing! I'm glad your hooked and I hope to hear from you again!

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Chapter 1

A peaceful scene greeted the Bright Circle as it rose into the sky. Lambie, a Twocrest Swimmer, opened her eyes drowsily as the light flooded her temporary nest. Morning already? She was still very tired as she didn't get much sleep during the night. How could she? It was just yesterday when she was separated from her mixed herd of Far Walkers by a bad earthshake and she felt terribly vulnerable being alone out here in the Mysterious Beyond. She was just lucky that no sharpteeth arrived during her troubled sleep. That would've ended in disaster.

Standing and shaking herself out, she scanned the horizons for any signs of danger or of her herd. Nothing. The disappointment present in her mind was only getting stronger and she would hold back her tears if she had any left. She cried them all out while the Great Night Circle was still high in the sky. Really, who could blame her? She's never been alone a moment of her life and was always used to having someone by her side, showing her the way. Well, best to get a move on and find some breakfast to take her mind off her stress. Staying forever vigilant, even to the point of paranoia, she strode off silently, tail low and curled around her feet due to her current state of unease. Although she was already at the age of great growing, she longed for her mother right now. She just wasn't ready to be fully independent just yet. First thing she'll do when she reunites with the herd would be to snuggle into her mother's arms and tell her how much she loved her.

Oh, she'll never disobey her parent's order again, if she could just get back home… Hmm, seems she still had some tears left after all…

She paused by the edge of a forest, having spotted two Domeheads eating some leaves nearby. Although her mother has told her to be wary of this kind of dinosaur, as they tend to not be very friendly, there were a few nicer ones in her herd that once gave her, along with several other young ones, advice on what to do if she met a Domehead stranger: usually she'll be tolerated if she kept a respective distance and acted submissive at all times. She's never tested that before, but she's desperate for company, any company, so the risks of experimentation would be worth it. First thing's first, she cleared her throat a bit to announce her presence. The Domehead duo looked over in her direction, chewing their Ground Stars in nonchalance even as they glared at the newcomer. Sensing hostility, she averted her eyes and lowered her head a bit, hands fiddling with each other in nervousness.

"Hello…" the young Swimmer greeted meekly, cautiously stepping closer. When she got no response, she continued timidly. "Is it alright if I join you…?" Still nothing but the munching sounds of green food. "Please…? Only until I find my herd again…"

Finally, she got something: a sharp snort from one of the Domeheads before both returned their attention to their meal. Taking this as acceptance, she awkwardly turned to the forest and started eating as well. She tried to ignore the soft whisperings the two Domeheads uttered to each other as they ate, no doubt talking about her presence. But they weren't chasing her off, so she must be doing something right. But after a few moments of peaceful coexisting, one of the Domeheads, a darker-colored female, marched over with a growl, roughly butting the Swimmer in the side.

"Ow! Hey!" the smaller dinosaur protested, forgetting herself for a second.

"Move, Swimmer!" the Domehead snapped back, giving her another hard nudge. The youngster then felt her humbled feelings return and stepped aside as ordered. The older female took a Tree Sweet from the tree Lambie was enjoying, never taking her glaring eyes from said Swimmer as she took a bite. "Keep going!" she demanded once more, voice slightly muffled by her full mouth. Lambie took a few more steps, looking over to the Domehead questioningly as if inquiring if this was a good distance. The short-tempered Leaf Eater gestured her to move yet farther and again, the Swimmer complied, having the slight feeling that there was some predetermined spot she was supposed to be in. Probably nothing; she'll just do whatever she's told without a fuss. And this seemed to satisfy the Domehead, for she hissed her words firmly. "Good. Now stay there, ya pathetic excuse for a dinosaur."

Too scared to disagree in any way, Lambie nodded softly and hesitantly resumed eating as the peace returned. She did stiffen as the second Domehead, a paler-colored male, moved to the other side of her, but he made no demands of his own as he seemed content with the distance, although he did growl at her if she so much as took a step in his direction. Trying to stick to her spot, she was about to nip off some Sweet Bubbles when the plants ahead of her started rustling. Curious, but nervous, she backed up a bit, earning a few more growls from her companions. She froze, looking from each of the Domeheads to the bushes. What was in there? Was it dangerous? She took a small half-step in the male Domehead's direction.

This got another snarl in response and she whimpered, automatically explaining herself. "There's something in there. It could be a sharpto-" She was interrupted with a cry of pain as something charged into her, hard. The force was enough to send her back, falling and skidding along the ground a short distance before the dust settled. Groaning in pain, she shakily pushed her body up and lifted her head, opening her eyes to see a third Domehead, this one larger than the other two. Confused at what just happened, Lambie got to her feet, chest hurting with each breath. However, no sooner has she gotten up than the Domehead charged her again, ducking enough to ram into her stomach and knock the wind right out of her before snapping around and slamming her down with his tail.

Coughing as she tried to get the air back into her lungs, she peeked up as the new Domehead stood over her with a growl before raising his claws and slashing down. She barely jerked away fast enough as the claws gouged the ground where her throat was a mere second ago. Thoroughly panicked, Lambie scrambled to her feet and dashed passed him towards her companions. She didn't know entirely what's going on, but maybe the other two could talk some sense into this new character. Unfortunately, that was not going to be the case because as soon as she got into range, they both leapt upon her, their combined weight more than enough to make the smaller dinosaur lose balance and crash to the ground. Then came more pain as she felt their claws slash across her body. Screaming, she immediately began to struggle, kicking and thrashing and trying to stand despite the heavy weight of the two dinosaurs. And even when they got off, her efforts to get up didn't go far when the third rammed into her side and knocked her back to the ground, the twin horns on his nose inflicting damage of their own.

Things were getting out of hand as the Domehead trio continued to bite and slash at her. She didn't understand why they were doing this to her, but that was not important as she struggled all the more to get free of their frenzy, giving a bloodcurdling screech in the hopes of drawing the attention of someone who could help her. Her attackers immediately backed off at her deafening shriek and watched as she finally quieted and managed to force herself to her feet. Whimpering in her agony, she stumbled away from them, disorientated and dazed. All she knew was that she had to get away from them, and fast. Despite her injuries and her almost stunned-state, she gradually sped up into as best a run as she can manage.

She heard her assaulters give chase and, feeling as if her heart skipped a few beats, she continued to run a surprising distance in her terror. She knew that if she stopped or even slowed down, it would all be over and she would never see her mother again, see anyone again. That thought was enough to keep her on her feet and keep her running. However, escape wasn't going to be that easy as she reached the bottom of a giant stone wall that stretched from horizon to horizon. In desperation, she began scrambling up the slope so she can climb to the top and hopefully lose her attackers. That ambition was crushed as she felt claws sinking into her tail and yanking her back down with great force.

"Nooo!" she yelled out as she tried to fend off the rogues, who immediately started slashing and biting her once more. Through luck alone, her tail swept the ground and knocked one of the Domeheads' feet out from under his body and the other two jumped back to avoid the same. Lambie took advantage and made another run for it; although 'run' was more like a quickened stumble in a random direction. She spotted a cave in the wall and made for it, even as she weakened and had to drop to all fours to avoid falling over. Unfortunately, she didn't make it as another one of the Domeheads easily caught up and forced her to halt as he stopped in front of her. As he lowered his head to hers, she cringed involuntarily as she was expecting him to smash her skull in. That wasn't what the vicious creature had in mind though and only started pushing her back to prevent her from going any farther. Her remaining strength fading fast, she allowed herself to be pushed backwards and merely whimpered as the other two resumed their attacks, focusing on her legs and flanks. Quickly reaching the point of incapacitation, Lambie finally collapsed to the ground, too weak to get back up.

Finally, the rogue trio backed off and the largest one kicked up some dirt, no doubt about to deliver the final blow that will end her struggles for life forever. Vision blurred from her heavy tears of agony and distress, she could still see he was targeting her neck or head and she tensed, closing her eyes as she heard the charge coming.

"I'm sorry, Mom…" she choked out a whisper. She heard the leap and knew she had but a split-second left and she made it count for her last words. "I love you…"

Then came the impact and life for her was gone in an instant.

"Well…" Cepher commented as he stood back up after finishing off the Swimmer. Dusting himself off with a smirk, he turned his gaze to his companions. "Is it just me or is this getting easier every day?" This earned a couple of dark chuckles.

"Yup." Rus answered with a nod. "These Leaf Eaters are getting more gullible by the minute. After all, this one came right up to us."

"Must be because the old ways are fading out and she thought we would be harmless to her." Pacia added with a grimace. "Since now all the herds are getting along." The other two nodded with equally disgusted looks. Ever since the Great Earthshake, they noticed mixed herds were starting to appear. Though rare and unusual at first, it soon became the new tradition, a tradition the trio were strictly against. Why should they be expected to turn over a new leaf and treat other kinds with respect? They've never done so before and it will take a lot more than a major earthshake to even consider changing their minds.

"An idiotic decision indeed." Cepher commented before giving a menacing grin. "All they're doing is teaching their young ones to be easier targets." At his companions' amused nods of agreement, he turned to the body of their latest victim with a low growl. "Now, this thing isn't getting any fresher. I'd prefer eating my fill _before_ a sharptooth shows up." Again, the other two nodded and joined him in this meal.

Several Cold Times ago, they were forced to change their habits, believing it would only be for a short-time. However, despite waking with twisting stomachs after each of their earlier meals, they eventually got used to it so they'd have no further ill effects. Then, before they even realized, they were enjoying the taste of other dinosaurs, even going as far as to give up their search for the Great Valley as they were having plenty of prey to feast on, even if they had to give up their meal whenever a sharptooth was spotted in the vicinity. The trio were still specialized in taking easy-to-kill hatchlings that they had such joy attacking even before their appetites shifted, but they never turned down the opportunity to take larger victims when they can. Of course, they still kept this development a top-notched secret. They will only eat what they kill when nobody was around to witness it, being sure to attack those who were alone. And between their hunting opportunities, they satisfied their hunger on plants, especially in the presence of other Leaf Eaters. Although green food was growing and flourishing once more in the Mysterious Beyond, the Domehead trio found the taste bland after experiencing their carnivorous diet. Still, no point in being picky so long as their stomachs were full.

And indeed, their stomachs were soon filled as they now ignored the eaten body of the Swimmer, wiping and licking the blood from their muzzles and claws until there was no sign to suggest their sharptooth-like ways. Cepher then led them curiously towards the cave their prey made an attempt to retreat into. Although they were wanderers, having roamed aimlessly ever since forsaking the Valley's journey and never stopping anywhere for very long, they never been here before. And there was no harm in exploring the unknown for the fun of it. Their leader gesturing them to follow his example, Pacia and Rus entered the cave cautiously, as they didn't know what to expect or if anyone of the predatory variety lived here. It seemed clear and empty, though soon revealing itself to be a very large tunnel of some sort, as light was easily flooding from the other side. Glancing at each other, they walked towards the tunnel's end, covering their eyes a bit from the Bright Circle's glare. But once they saw what was stretched out before them, they gaped with widened eyes in amazement.

It was a beautiful valley, brimming with green food and holding a multitude of clear-looking waterholes connected by Fast Water and fueled by powerful Thundering Falls. It stretched as far as the eye can see and still showed no signs of stopping, its borders towering in mountains, some of which were smoking but peaceful and calm. The Domehead trio were mesmerized by the majestic sight, Pacia leaning a bit on Rus to steady herself from being overwhelmed.

"Where…What is this place…?" Rus muttered in his frozen state, his eyes slowly sweeping over the surrounding landscape, trying to take it all in. For a moment, it was silent before Cepher managed to choke out the most logical answer he could think of.

"It's…the Great Valley…"

They finally found it, and only when they weren't even looking for it. And although the land outside in the Mysterious Beyond has returned to its former glory before the food shortage took place so long ago, this valley still seemed like a paradise. It looked even better than they ever imagined and their imaginations made it a sight to behold from the beginning. Recovering a bit, Cepher smiled with a chuckle at this unintentional achievement before nudging his companions and starting to climb down a clear path leading into the Valley. Pacia and Rus, snapping out of it themselves, raced down after their leader, eager to explore their new home and everything it had to offer:

Safety from sharpteeth…

Enough green food to eliminate competition…

And plenty of nice, plump, better-quality-than-average Leaf Eater hatchlings to gorge themselves on…

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Finally got the chapter up, now to work on my other story's chapter. I'm probably gonna take turns between them when it comes to updates, so please be patient with me. Anywho, I don't have much to say as it's very late and I'm exhausted, but I do hope you enjoyed this and will motivate me a bit with some reviewing!


	3. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own anything with the name of Land Before Time!

Special thanks to the following people for reviewing:  
MissBliss8527- I will do more, with added suspense! ^^  
Heritor- Thanks for the helpful review! The errors have been fixed and I thank ya for pointing them out! I'm glad your loving the story and I hope to hear more from ya again, my friend!  
Bowser Jr. Nutt- Firstly, love your name! Koopas forever! I found your review very encouraging as well in understanding how it is to write stories in a not so popular category. Thanks!

Thank you guys and anybody reading this far for your support! I have every intention of finishing this till the end!

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Chapter 2

Laughter filled the air of the Great Valley as a Tree Sweet plopped at the very center of a small clearing. Two teams stopped on opposite sides of the clearing, the giggles dying to be replaced by an air of seriousness. One team consisting of Littlefoot, Chomper, and Petrie exchanged challenging looks with their 'rivals', consisting of Cera, Ruby, Ducky, and Spike. This was for the winning point and neither team had losing as an option! On some unspoken cue, Littlefoot and Ruby lunged simultaneously, forepaws and hands both gripping the Tree Sweet at the same time.

"Well, seems we both have it since we both grabbed it." Ruby said with an amused grin. Littlefoot returned the smile with his own.

"Yeah, but my team will be the ones to win!" he said playfully.

"You can't win if you won't be winning." With this, Ruby yanked the Tree Sweet out of Littlefoot's hold and the chase was on! Laughter and playful exclamations once more filled the air as Ruby raced for the goal.

"Ruby! I am open, I am!" Ducky shouted, waving her hands and jumping for attention. Ruby spotted her and acknowledged her words by taking the risk to stop.

"Okay, Ducky! I'm throwing it to you so you can catch it!" Then came the toss, as it was just in time before Littlefoot tackled her down one second too late. Ducky was about the catch the Tree Sweet, when Chomper raced in front of her and snatched it himself.

"Hey!" Ducky protested, despite a fun-loving smile on her beak.

"I got it! I got it!" the sharptooth said proudly before making a run for the goal, Cera, Spike, and Ducky at his tail. He knew he wasn't going to make it and he looked about for a team mate and saw Petrie flying to land right at the goal between two trees.

"Pass to me, Chomper!" the Flyer yelled out. "Pass to me!" Chomper was just about to do just that when he was tackled by Cera, the Tree Sweet literally flying out of his hands high into the air straight for the goal. Petrie flew up to catch it, but it went right over his head into the surrounding trees quite a distance.

"Wow." Cera muttered as she got off Chomper, who seemed equally surprised before a happy glow spread across his face.

"Does that mean we win?" he asked eagerly.

"Of course not!" the young Threehorn claimed as the others gathered around them.

"I dunno, Cera." Littlefoot started. "The Tree Sweet _did_ go through the goal and Chomper _was_ the one who had it."

"No way! I call that an unfair shot!"

"Or lucky shot." Petrie said as he landed on Littlefoot's head, which nodded in agreement to the Flyer's words. This only got a glare and huff from the unimpressed Cera.

"Well, if that's the case, I call a rematch!" she demanded.

"Oh, yes yes yes! A rematch!" Ducky bounced in happy excitement that the prospect of another round.

"Alright! I'll go get the ball!" Chomper said before going off to locate where the Tree Sweet had fallen, and to possibly find a new ball to replace it, in case it smushed against a rock or something. But it wasn't going to be a rock it would splat onto...

"Hey!" Rus exclaimed as something splattered all over his head. Growling, he wiped off some of the stuff from his face and looked at it, trying to identify it. Pink and sticky...He licked it a little. A Tree Sweet? Cepher and Pacia was watching this in confusion before looking up simultaneously at the tree above them. No signs of Tree Sweets. But then how did this one splatter all over their comrade? Well, obviously, someone threw it at them and when they find that someone, they'll make him pay dearly for this ridiculing act! They were already glancing about, but it seems they didn't have to search too hard nor too long as the bushes nearby rustled and out stepped...a sharptooth?

"I thought this Valley didn't have sharpteeth." Pacia whispered to Cepher, scowling at the carnivore, neither of them alarmed as this was a hatchling and they quite literally had hatchlings for breakfast. Though they've never tried to eat a baby sharptooth before...

Chomper looked up at the very large figures and saw they were Domeheads that he's never met, seen, or smelled before and that one of them was...uh oh. Seemed the ball chose the wrong place to land and now he and his friends could be in big trouble if these newcomers told the other grown-ups. He should apologize and explain what happened before the situation gets worse. "Oh...Um, sorry about the Tree Sweet, sir. My friends...and I...were..." He trailed off with a gulp, fiddling with his claws as he didn't like the look he was being given by his audience. They seemed amused, but it had a kind of menacing edge he just didn't like.

"Well, would you look at this! A talking sharptooth!" the largest Domehead snickered as he approached and picked Chomper up by the tail.

"I've seen it all now." the smaller black-colored one added with a smirk. Chomper didn't respond to this, as his world was now upside down, literally. It took him a moment to get over his confusion and notice the tight, almost painful grip on his tail. Despite his initial humbleness, he couldn't stop his indignation at his position. Not only was his tail -along with his sniffer- one of the more precious parts of his body, but the way he was being held made him feel little and he did not like it when he's made to feel little.

"Hey! Let go!" he demanded, kicking a bit as he wriggled to try and get free. His words went unheard as the Great Valley's newest visitors continued their conversation, which was getting to be quite terrifying for little Chomper to hear.

"Talking or not, I think we'll be doing a service by getting rid of this nuisance!" Rus snarled as he came over with a glare, still trying to wipe off the Tree Sweet juice. The others barely gave those words a second thought before nodding.

"I think that's a great idea." Cepher approved, smirking menacingly at the hatchling dangling helplessly in his claws. The sharptooth gave a whimper as it stopped struggling with a horrified expression that the trio loved seeing in their targets. The look of fear never got old. And it only grew better as Pacia stepped closer with a soft snicker.

"It's obvious this little pest snuck in the Valley to have itself a never-ending supply of Leaf Eaters to eat. Am I right, sharptooth?" she asked mockingly, placing a sharp claw under the sharptooth's chin, just to hear it whimper again. The sharptooth shifted away from her claws before it shook its head fervently, its little hands waving in denial.

"N-no! I live here with my friends!" it exclaimed.

"Oh, so there's more sharpteeth hiding around here?" Cepher interrogated with a taunting grin, tightening his grip on the sharptooth's tail once more, earning a yelp and another wriggle before it answered desperately.

"No! My friends are Leaf Eaters! I swear! I'm a nice sharptooth!" The trio didn't know how the sharptooth expected them to react, but those words were hilarious enough to make them crack up, Cepher's grip tightening all the more in his extreme mirth. It took a moment for them to recover from their laughing fit before they returned their malicious glares to the hatchling.

"A _nice_ sharptooth?" Cepher growled in heavy amusement before looking to his companions. "First time we ever encountered a talking sharptooth and the only thing it will say are lies to save its own skin."

"But I'm serious!" Chomper yelled to the grown-ups, feeling himself on the verge of angry and frightened tears. 'Save its own skin'? Was he really an 'it' to them? Were they really willing to hurt him or even kill him? Well, of course they are. All other grown-ups did when they first met him: Ali's Herd, Doc, even Cera's Dad when he was first introduced to him. This group wouldn't be any different. But he still tried convincing them he's good, at least that worked before...but only when his friends were there. So, he had to get to them somehow. It was his only chance. "If you don't believe me, my friends are over there!" He pointed the way he came, hoping the three Domeheads would go to see his friends and learn that he wasn't lying. "There's Littlefoot and Cera and Ducky and-"

"Shut it, kid!" the Tree Sweet male snapped, eyes filled with renewed rage before looking to the largest member. "Can we just get rid of it now?"

The apparent leader smirked at his angered companion before snickering at the youngster. "Might as well. No point in delaying the inevitable."

Filled with overwhelming fear, Chomper very much wanted to delay the inevitable and, seeing no other option, he followed the instincts that's been yelling at him from the instant he was picked up. There was a brief flash in his mind of Littlefoot telling him long ago that sharptooth behavior wasn't allowed in the Valley, and his next action was definitely a sharptooth behavior. His mind vaguely gave a silent apology to his best friend as he acted. Grabbing hold of his own tail, he managed to pull himself up enough to sink his teeth into the leader's hand, easily drawing some blood. Hearing the cry of pain, he was dropped to the ground, quickly trying to recover from the impact.

Looking up at his tormentors, he definitely recovered double time with a scream before running off, the leader's claws slashing into the ground where he once stood. Terrified, he saw the dark female lunge with open jaws and he leapt straight into the air just in time to avoid being bitten himself. Landing in an unbalanced stumble on her head, he made no hesitation in sliding off and making another wild dash, still screaming as he felt a crash just behind him, sending him falling forward with a grunt. Risking a glance, he saw he just barely avoided being crushed under the Tree Sweet male's skull. Moving faster than he ever thought possible, he jumped back to his feet and ran off towards his friends, the only thing he could think of doing.

"Littlefoot! Help!" he yelled out in desperation, pushing his way through the undergrowth, hearing the grown-ups pursuing him. Knowing his life depended on it, he sped up as fast as his legs would go, hoping and wishing so many times that he would make it.

"Chomper!" Luckily, the gang met him half-way and, still in a panic, he threw himself against Littlefoot, his words pouring out of him faster than he can think.

"Tell them I'm a nice sharptooth! Tell them I'm a nice sharptooth!"

"Tell who?" Ruby asked, very concerned of her charge's fear and general demeanor. Chomper, shivering and whimpering, huddled against as many of his friends as he could at once, pressing as tight as he could for any feeling of safety. But even with his efforts, he still gave a yelp as his attackers rushed into view, skidding to a stop. The gang were more than startled by the Domehead's sudden, aggressive entrance and they jolted back with screams of their own. But that died out quickly for a brief moment of silence, with only the sound being Chomper's heavy breathing and whimpering.

"Move." the leader growled, clenching his claws as he sneered down at the gang. Littlefoot cleared his throat to get over his intimidation enough to step forward a bit.

"No. Chomper's our friend. He-"

"Kids, we heard screaming! What's going on?" another voice came up and everyone looked over to see Grandpa Longneck and some of the other grown ups, who paused at the sight of the newcomers. "Why, we didn't know we had visitors to our Valley. When did you three arrive?"

"Better question is what are you doing with our kids?" Mr. Threehorn demanded angrily, stepping forward in a confrontational manner. After all, there had to be a reason for the screams and it seemed logical to assume these newcomers were the cause of it all. But the Domehead trio were far from intimidated and huffed, each of them crossing their arms defiantly.

"We did nothing to the Leaf Eater brats. It's the sharptooth we're after." the leader hissed with particular malice.

"Chomper's harmless! He'd never hurt us!" Littlefoot defended as he stepped protectively in front of Chomper, not going to let anything bad happen to his friend. They've been through too much, helped and saved each other too many times to back down now.

"Yes. Chomper is our friend and he has never harmeded us, nope nope nope!" Ducky claimed herself, Spike grunting and nodding his assurance. However, the trio seemed far from convinced and the leader lifted his hand a bit, blood still dripping a little.

"If it's harmless, it wouldn't have bitten us." he claimed with a smirk, amused as everyone gasped in horror and every gaze turned to the young sharptooth. Chomper's jaw dropped that this was being used against him, though he honestly shouldn't have been as surprised as he was. Fiddling with his claws once more and staying behind Littlefoot, he tried to choke out the words, practically feeling the awkward and hostile atmosphere surrounding the entire area.

"It wasn't my fault..." he muttered before pointing to the Domeheads shakily. "They...They were trying to hurt me... I had to do something!" He looked up at Littlefoot pleadingly. "Right?" The Longneck only hesitated for a second before nodding.

"Right, Chomper." he agreed confidently. "You wouldn't hurt anybody without reason."

"Seems we all got off on the wrong foot." Grandpa Longneck said before looking back to the Domeheads. "Chomper is a sharptooth, yes, but he's an equal resident of this Valley. He lives here and is welcomed by all of us." He tried to ignore the huff Mr. Threehorn gave. "And all three of you are welcomed as well to stay as long as you need."

"Good." the leader hissed sharply, face disgusted for some reason, the other two sharing the same scowl. "Because we're not leaving at all."

Grandpa Longneck seemed a bit taken aback at the hostility these three were displaying, but looked passed it to keep the peace. "Even better. I think-" He was immediately cut off by the smaller male.

"Don't even bother finishing that sentence. We don't care in the slightest what an old flathead like you thinks." This triggered another collective gasp as the children looked at each other in disbelief before Littlefoot glared at the Domeheads.

"You can't talk to my grandfather like that!" he protested, angry that someone would insult his family so openly and with such a hostile tone. The smaller male snapped a glare to the young longneck, snarling.

"Back off, kid, before something happens that you or your friends might end up regretting."

"Don't you dare threaten the children!" Mr. Threehorn roared, stepping even closer to the Domeheads, of which the female member snorted disdainfully.

"We threaten whoever we want, and no hornface is going to tell us otherwise." This got even more gasps from everyone, who couldn't believe their ears. Nobody has ever insulted Mr. Threehorn and certainly not in such an offensive term. In the stunned silence, the leader hissed out his words with just as much hostility as his companions.

"Living here, we have one simple rule to set out. And we'll make it clear for all you tiny-brained idiots: we don't want any of you low-life weaklings bothering us. It's bad enough you're tainting this Valley with your presence; we don't want to make things worse by interacting with any of you scum for more than necessary."

Mr. Threehorn was the first to recover and he was far from happy with this situation as he stormed even closer, head lowered threateningly as he practically roared. "Now, see here, you vermin! You can't just storm in here and insult us, then expect-" He was interrupted when the Domeheads gave a bored yawn and proceeded to ignore him, turning their backs disrespectfully as they walked off to vanish into the vegetation once more. Mr. Threehorn growled all the more and seemed just about ready to charge in the general direction of their departure but Grandpa stopped him by speaking.

"I'm sure our guests are just tired from their undoubtedly long and difficult journey here and they will calm down soon enough. Until then, we will honor their wishes and give them room to settle. Then we can start over in our greetings." The other Great Valley residents grumbled under their breaths from the rude introduction the Domeheads presented and of Grandpa's forgiving words, but they nodded begrudgingly. Grandpa Longneck then turned his attention to the kids. "Why don't you young ones go on and play, just be careful not to aggravate our new arrivals any further."

Littlefoot sighed softly, hanging his head a bit. "Okay, Grandpa."

Without a word, the gang went off to try and resume their play, finding another Tree Sweet to replace their previous ball. The game soon started, things a bit quiet at first before the spirits began to rise and the laughter began to slowly inch its way back into the game. Only one who remained in a non-playful mood was Chomper. The ball rolled by his feet and the young sharptooth only looked down at it listlessly before giving it a nudge that was supposed to be a kick. The others, noticing his state of mind, put the game on hold and wandered over.

"Hey, you alright there, Chomper?" Cera asked with a confused look. Last time she saw this kind of behavior was when Ducky was mad at Spike and she knew something was on their youngest member's mind. Chomper looked at her and the others for another moment, before muttering softly and with a still slightly-frightened tone.

"If you all don't mind...I'm gonna go back home."

"You sure, Chomper?" Littlefoot asked in concern. This was one of Chomper's favorite games and it wasn't like him to want to walk away right in the middle of it.

"We still have fun game. We no win without you." Petrie added, landing by the little sharptooth. Chomper gave a soft half-hearted smile that one could easily tell was forced.

"I know, I just think it's sleep-time for me now..." With that, he turned and headed off to the Secret Caverns, while the others looked amongst themselves in confusion at his words. After all, the Bright Circle was still high in the sky. Sleep-time isn't even close. But thinking of what happened not too long ago, they couldn't really blame him. They just hoped he'll be okay...

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Done with this chapter! Sorry if it was below expectation, this is the first time I've done the main characters with the exception of Chomper and Ruby. I just hope I got the personalities for any one of them down-packed. I decided to try and finish this story first as it's at most risk of being uncompleted as my obsession with the Domeheads will probably be a lot more temporary than my stronger obsession with Thud. I'mma get started on the next chapter and I hope to hear from you all!


	4. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own anything with the name of Land Before Time!

Special thanks to the following people for reviewing:  
MissBliss8527- Thanking you is no problem. Really, reviewers need to be appreciated since it's people like you who motivate me to continue!  
Bowser Jr. Nutt- Thanks for favoriting and reviewing! I am feeling very honored that you'd fav this out of all the LBT stories. And thank you for the compliments on the characters. I'm glad I kept them in canon. And I'll be sure to keep your very helpful story advice in mind! :D  
Heritor- Maybe I should fire my spell-check and hire you instead! XD You're far more helpful and I hope you'd continue to point out the errors. And, as I've said, tenses are my true weakness in writing, so maybe you can help with that too! ^^

You three must be very kind and loyal readers to be reviewing each time! I'm so very grateful for that and I'mma keep on writing!

* * *

Chapter 3

The shadows of the trees grew longer as evening came, the Bright Circle sinking slowly, but steadily beyond the Smoking Mountains. All around the luscious paradise of the Great Valley, many of the residents began settling at their nests to rest after a long day of various activity. In the Secret Caverns, young Chomper was sitting up against the wall of his cave, staring down blankly as his mind was plagued with memories of what happened earlier that day. Once more, his sharptooth nature almost got him killed. Can't he ever meet grown-ups just once without them trying to cause harm to him at some point or another? Sighing deeply, his tongue licked around the inside of his mouth a bit. It was still plagued with the taste of that Domehead's blood. Despite his carnivorous nature, he did not like it one bit. All it did was remind him of what he had to do...

He's purposely bitten someone, bitten a Leaf Eater. He has broken a promise, a vow that was made long ago that he would never intentionally harm a Leaf Eater during his stay in the Great Valley. Maybe it was the start of something bad, something that could mean leaving his friends forever. He knew what the grown-ups thought of him. He knew he wasn't entirely welcomed to stay here and now, the adults have all the more reason to distrust him. After all, what's to stop him from hurting anyone else? Trying to hold back a whimper, he leaned off the wall and laid himself down, hugging his tail tightly, feeling as though he almost lost it. It was still hurting from the injuries made by the leader's claws and the bruises from being held in such a tight grip. He won't be surprised if he'll still be feeling this a few days from now.

"Chomper?" It was Ruby. Chomper didn't answer. Maybe if he was lucky, she would think he's gone away. But he knew that was an unrealistic hope and it wasn't long before Ruby entered the caves and found him curled up almost in a ball. Seeing his depressed mood, she spoke quietly. "Are you alright?"

Chomper remained quiet for a moment before shaking his head. "No. I feel terrible..."

Wandering over and sitting beside him, she gave him a caring, reassuring smile. "You can't feel good if you feel terrible." She placed a hand on his back comfortingly. "Maybe I can help in helping you."

Sighing once more, Chomper sat up, still looking down at his feet as he spoke. "Earlier with the grown-ups...when they heard that I..._bit_ that Domehead..." he started before looking up at his caretaker with sadness in his eyes. "Do you think they're mad at me?" Hearing this and looking at him, knowing that he needed a positive answer, Ruby shook her head in confidence.

"Of course not, Chomper. The others are too busy being worried about you to be mad at you." At this, Chomper sadness faltered with a very soft, relieved smile.

"They are?" For once in a long time today, Chomper felt a spark of hope. Maybe things wouldn't be as bad as he originally thought. Maybe he won't be chased out of the Valley after all. And he felt all the better when Ruby nodded.

"In fact, Grandpa Longneck wanted to know where you were for story telling 'cause you weren't there to be told the story." she informed him, earning an even larger grin on the young sharptooth's face. "And I'm sure Ducky and Petrie's mom would worry too."

"And even Mr. Threehorn?" Alright, now he was pushing it, but he was feeling so increasingly reassured that he couldn't help himself. The Fast Runner hesitated for a moment, not sure what to say to that. Mr. Threehorn's just too hard to please; almost nothing will make him happy. At least that's how she, and the majority of the others, saw it. However, she did remember Mr. Threehorn defending the children from the Domehead's hostility, and that included Chomper. So...

"Yes, even Mr. Threehorn." A moment of silence came and, for once, it wasn't of the uneasy kind. In fact, the younger dinosaur gave a soft laugh and hugged his guardian tight.

"Thanks, Ruby." he said as he felt her embrace him back.

"Helping with your problems is no problem at all." she told him before pulling away and standing. "Come on. I think Grandpa Longneck might still be telling stories during this story-telling time." Seeing some of Chomper's nervousness return, she tilted her head a bit with a considerate smile. "Or do you wanna stay here so you won't be out there?"

Chomper thought to himself for a moment. He did enjoy story-time and according to Ruby's words, everyone's been worried about him. Well, maybe he shouldn't worry them any longer. He's staying here in the Valley, at least for the time being and it's going to take more than a new group of Domeheads to make it otherwise. With a determined look, he nodded and stood up. "Alright. Let's go!" Following Ruby out of the Secret Caverns, Chomper stood tall as they made their way to the Glowing Crater where Grandpa always told his tales. At the moment, he just hoped he didn't miss any of the good stories...

"Surprise!" Chomper jumped as they arrived to their destination. To his astonishment, Grandpa Longneck wasn't there at all and instead Littlefoot, Cera, Ducky, Spike, and Petrie displayed a giant leaf which was full of delicious-looking Crawlers. Getting over his startlement quickly, Chomper grinned and looked up at Ruby, who smiled back just as happily. The young sharptooth gave her another hug before rushing over to his friends to give each a hug in turn.

"Thanks, guys!" he exclaimed before asking. "But why'd you do it?"

"Well, since you were feeling so bad, we decided to try and make you feel better." Cera told him as Ducky nodded.

"So we broughted you lots and lots of your favorite Crawlers, yup yup yup." Ducky joined with a happy nod and her characteristic warm smile.

"And we sent Ruby to go and get you." Littlefoot finished.

The youngest member of the group didn't know what to say. He didn't expect them to do such a kind thing, just to make him feel better. They must've gone through a lot of trouble to find all these Crawlers and keep them on the leaf until he came. They may be very different from him in so many ways, but they were still the greatest friends he could ever ask for. Turning to the pile of food, he picked up a handful and turned to his friends. "Want some?" He did love to share, even though he knew how the others would react...

"Eww!" they all said simultaneously before they all laughed together, settling down to tell stories of their own as Chomper happily enjoyed his gift and the company of his pals.

**Few Nights Later...**

A very large Domehead made his way through the undergrowth slowly and steadily, making sure not to make the slightest rustle that might alert his presence to his prey: a hatchling Spikethumb that wandered from its nest to play with a late-night Buzzer. He remained ever alert, as he knew there were herds still awake and his chances of getting spotted increased with every minute of the hunt. It was best to get this done as quickly and quietly as possible.

Cepher lifted his head just a bit over his cover to scan for his companions. They were setting up a three-way triangular ambush and if all goes well, the attack shouldn't last more than a second. He spotted some movement a little ways across from him. It was Rus inching ever closer to the hatchling as well. And a second movement came from the opposite side of the smaller male, showing where Pacia was coming. Almost there. He once more lowered to the ground, his eyes focusing back to their target. It hadn't noticed them at all, giggling happily as the Buzzer landed on its nose and it went cross-eyed trying to see it. Just one more step, then another, and...

Silently, he lowered his head and lunged as the others mirrored his actions for the kill. The Buzzer took off quickly, but the hatchling had no way to escape. It only managed to let out a scream of fright before... The simultaneous head-on impact between three Domeheads was a spectacular sight for any who witnessed such a thing, but not for the one who was literally caught right in the middle of it. For the hatchling, death was instantaneous. But its scream did not go unheard.

"What was that?" a rough, but sleepy voice came from nearby and the trio looked up with a surprised jolt. Time to beat a hasty retreat before the voice's owner investigates. Pacia and Rus bounded off into the undergrowth, Cepher grabbing their snack and following his companions out of sight just as a familiar Clubtail entered the scene.

Seeing nothing in the clearing itself, the large Leaf Eater did spot the rustle of the vegetation that might show where the noise-makers retreated. As such, Kosh was not going to dismiss the noise so easily. That scream might've been from fear, which could mean a threat in the Valley. And he was making it his business to find that threat and get rid of it. Huffing, he ambled towards the now-still bushes and shoved past them to find the Domehead trio that arrived a few days ago. Though he's never met them personally, he heard from others that they're an extremely rude and hostile group. Currently, they seemed to be sleeping rather deeply. Regardless of that, he was going to wake them up as he felt irritable enough from his disturbed sleep to ruin someone else's.

"Hey! Wake up!" Getting no response, he went over to the small male of the group, leaning his head down to his ear, and- "I said _wake up_!"

At this, the Domehead jumped up in surprise and accidentally landed on the female, who jumped awake in turn with a cry. The third member woke up at the noise and growled at the Clubtail.

"What're you doing in _our _territory?" the leader hissed sleepily, but with an angry tone, not bothering to get to his feet himself. Kosh snorted with a glare.

"_Your _territory? Ha!" He shifted his glare from one of the trio to the other. "I heard screaming from around here and I wanna know who caused it."

"Go back to your nest, spikehead, because the only screaming you heard was your own while you were sleeping." the smaller male insulted and Kosh growled quite angrily. This trio was notorious here for their foul use of degrading terms, but hearing the insulting word firsthand was another issue altogether that made his tail swish as he retaliated.

"How about I make _you_ all scream!"

"We'd like to see you try, berry-breath." the female retorted herself, apparently well-aware of how Kosh spends most of his days. It shouldn't really be a surprise, but it was enough to make him snort all the more angrily, wanting to charge them. But physical confrontation would only lead to trouble in the Great Valley society and he'd rather not be the center of that kind of attention. The Domeheads seemed to pick up on his reluctance to attack as they laid themselves back down to go to sleep once more. Keeping himself from acting too rashly, Kosh turned and went off to his nest, grumbling under his breath as he pushed the earlier scream out of his mind. It was probably nothing but a bunch of annoying kids causing mischief...

Upon hearing the departure of the Clubtail, Cepher opened his eyes with a smirk and stood. Hidden beneath his body was the dead hatchling. Luckily, he was large enough to fully conceal it from even the sharpest of wandering eyes. Pacia and Rus 'awoke' from their pretend sleep as well before shaking themselves off and wandering closer to their leader.

"That was a close one. Great idea, Cepher." Pacia complimented quietly, so not to risk further unwanted intrusion. The head of the trio chuckled darkly as he nodded.

"It really was too easy." he said before leaning down and picking the little hatchling up in his jaws, shifting his teeth to grip the middle portion. Eager for their share, the other two bit into their desired piece before they pulled the child apart. They hadn't eaten meat since their arrival here and the taste was like Tree Sweets to them. They savored it for they knew it would be a few more nights before they can have more. It was a strategy of Cepher. If they ate hatchlings from the very day of their arrival, the residents might associate the rise of missing hatchlings to their presence and chase them out, or worse. So their leader had them wait for a few nights to allow everyone else to get used to their presence. Now that the Domehead's had taken their first victim, they would increase the process little by little, and it would eventually get to the point where they can eat their fill of hatchlings every night.

Of course, Pacia once pointed out that the other Leaf Eaters would investigate and try to find out who was responsible. The response to that: Why suspect a new group of Leaf Eaters like them when there's a sharptooth child there to shift the blame on? It would all work out perfectly, and if not... The increasing difficulty can only improve their hunting skills and make them even more lethal in their tactics.

Finishing their snack, they went through the routine of getting rid of the evidence. The bones of their meal was small and fragile enough to be eaten, so that itself was not a problem. Licking the blood from their claws and mouths, they also ate and licked the blood-covered grass and swished the bloodied ground with their tails. Digging a bit as an extra precaution to hide the sight and scent of blood, they then settled down to sleep peacefully until the Bright Circle rose. They didn't even react when a sudden, very loud cry echoed through the Valley...

"Where's my baby?"

...Except for the smirks now growing in their dream-filled sleep.

* * *

And the Domeheads had claimed their first victim. How many more hatchlings will suffer the same fate? How long can the rogues keep this up? Why is Kosh increasingly becoming an A-hole in the movies? Why is it not possible to use a question mark and exclamation mark in the same sentence anymore? Why am I asking all these questions? Anyway, now that I've accomplished myself as being a random spazz, I hope you guys are still there to review so I can work on the next chappy!


	5. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own anything with the name of Land Before Time!

Special thanks to the following people for reviewing:  
MissBliss8527- Now you will know what happens next and you won't have to wait a second longer! XD  
Bowser Jr. Nutt- Wasn't expecting the second review, but I get what you're saying perfectly. I do strongly believe that Chomper is a very happy character in general and is still a happy character in this story, especially during the time that he's not in the limelight (I hope that made sense; I'm not good at explaining things). I just focus a bit more on the not-so-cheerful moments that he would no doubt feel in a situation like this! ^^

Also I love the reviews coming; honestly I never thought this story would be as popular as it is! You're all especially helpful in your feed-backs and compliments and I hope my story will keep on entertaining you!

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Chapter 4

It was the third group meeting in less than four nights. The adult dinosaurs of the Great Valley began gathering in the Circle of Rocks, many tired from the lack of sleep that was becoming a trend since the incident. But the subject was just too urgent to be dismissed so easily and the night was the only time they can secretly discuss without the children knowing. It's been a couple of weeks since the Spikethumb child went missing and a few more disappearances began happening since then. At first, the grieving parents reluctantly accepted the fact that their child probably wandered off into the Mysterious Beyond to be lost forever. But now...now the occurrence was happening too often to be blamed on coincidence alone. There was a more sinister reason behind this and that's what this meeting was called to solve.

Sitting at the end of their personal ledge, Cepher yawned from both boredom and from the late hour as his companions tried to keep themselves from nodding off. They hadn't the slightest interest in these meetings, but Cepher told them that they had to attend to avoid suspicion, and to make sure the others weren't catching on to the truth about the hatchling disappearances. While they were waiting for everyone to arrive, they occupied themselves with glaring and growling at any dinosaur that came too close to their spot, essentially creating a bubble for themselves. The other Leaf Eaters, though returning the glares on occasion, were too tired to object to their behavior and each went to find a free spot far from the Domeheads. Everyone seemed to be plenty used to their newest arrivals and their apparent need for personal space.

Finding it hard to keep her eyes open, Pacia head drooped as she leaned hard on Rus's side, who was fighting his fatigue a bit more valiantly with frequent stretches, easily supporting their female comrade. But even with his efforts, his eyes began closing as their leader watched the final dinosaur walk into the Circle of Rocks. Noticing that this one moved with exceptional slowness due to being a sleepy Spiketail, he couldn't hold it back anymore.

"Hey, dirt-breath, why don't you hurry up so we can get outta here?" Cepher yelled to the Spiketail, who was about to retaliate when Mr. Threehorn, still spiteful, did it for him.

"Why don't you keep your beak shut, Domehead?" This immediately got the other two to wake up as their leader snapped his attention to the Threehorn.

"Shut it, frill-neck. You were especially slow coming here." he snapped back, the other dinosaurs still acting shocked and muttering at the derogatory insult. Though they were used to the presence of three highly-territorial Domeheads, they still weren't used to their foul language and negative attitudes. The only one who was used to it in the slightest way was Mr. Threehorn himself, as he was no longer stunned still at the words and was in fact pawing the ground in anger.

"Come down here and say that!" the older dinosaur dared, ready to charge. Cepher was merely amused by this and stood up.

"My pleasure." Jumping from the ledge and landing nimbly on his claws, he lowered his head, kicking up some dirt as well in preparation for his own charge. But before either of them got anywhere, Grandma Longneck got between them.

"That's enough. Both of you." she reprimanded in a firm, authoritive voice.

"My friends, fighting will not solve anything. We must put aside our differences to address the issue at hand." Grandpa Longneck joined, walking over to stand by his mate.

Mr. Threehorn huffed and began grumbling about how the Domeheads needed to find a new valley to live in. Cepher paid no more attention to his rival and only growled at the elder's words. 'My friends'? Ha! He'd rather get eaten by a sharptooth than be friends with a Longneck, or any other dinosaur kind to begin with. And putting aside their differences? Only in their sleep-stories. He turned his attention to his companions and motioned them over, just in case he would need back-up for some reason or another. Seeing no point in staying where they were, Pacia and Rus bounded down to join their leader's side, scowling at the presence of the other herds as Grandpa continued.

"I'm sure you all know why we're gathered here tonight. Some of our youngsters are disappearing for reasons unknown."

"Yes, one of my hatchlings vanished without a trace just the other night." Mrs. Maia hissed, more than a little unhappy at that fact. She was a fairly aggressive member of the Valley, having a strictness that rivaled that of Mr. Threehorn. But she was also the most dedicated of mothers and an incident like this, especially when it included her own children, was a direct insult to her and she does not take direct insults very well at all. Hearing her words, some other parents nodded, including Mrs. Tubehead.

"Mine too. I went to sleep with all my babies accounted for, then woke up to find one missing out of thin air. I don't understand how that can happen!"

"I think I have an idea!" Kosh exclaimed harshly, glaring at the Domeheads. "Maybe this bunch chased them off. They've certainly been doing that a lot since they got here." The Clubtail was right in this aspect, though even he didn't know just how right he was. He's just aware that these Domeheads seem to take pleasure in pursuing children that 'got in their way', but not of their more sinister motives as they've never actually harmed any of the hatchlings they've chased. Of course, the Domeheads had a response to this and Cepher didn't even miss a beat, icy blue eyes glaring thorns at the Clubtail.

"We only drive them off when they trespass our territory. Keep them away from us and our trees and we wouldn't have that problem." he retorted as Rus smirked.

"Really, those brats probably ran off after smelling you." He mockingly wrinkled his nose in disgust. "You can make a whole herd of Longnecks pass out with one breath." Despite this being spoken by a hated member of the Valley, some of the others couldn't hold in a chuckle at how true that comment was. But they forced themselves quiet as Mr. Clubtail casted a glare at them before beginning to say something in a sharp tone before Mrs. Swimmer spoke up.

"Let's not turn against each other. It's never helped us in the past and it won't help us now. A time like this needs team work." Grandpa nodded.

"Mrs. Swimmer's right. We must be calm and logical." This got a few moments of silence as everyone began to think of a reason for the disappearances. And once more, it was Mrs. Swimmer who made the first suggestion.

"Perhaps a sharptooth got into the Valley."

"Impossible!" Mr. Threehorn snorted. "If a sharptooth snuck in here, we would know about it."

"How about a smaller sharptooth? Those can easily be missed." a Rainbowface spoke with a slight swish of his tail. "Or a Sharptooth Flyer who could just fly over the Great Wall?"

"But we would surely have seen some sign of their presence." Mrs. Tubehead said before pausing and looking about in uncertainty. "Right?" This earned a moment of uneasy silence as most everyone began looking around each other's feet, as if expecting to find a sharptooth version of the Tinysaurus' lurking about. Everyone except the Domeheads, who rolled their eyes in skeptical disbelief at everyone's stupidity before Cepher spoke up.

"How idiotic can you all get?" he growled, earning the hostile attention of the others. He continued nonetheless as he didn't care if he was liked by them or not. "Here you are, looking around like the sharptooth would just show itself out of nowhere. Instead of looking for some unknown threat, why not go through the list of threats that we already know to be in the Valley?"

"We don't have threats in the Valley. At least when it comes to sharpteeth." Mrs. Flyer told them in confusion. The Domeheads snorted as Pacia crossed her arms.

"Really, wingbrain? Maybe we'll have to simplify it a bit more."

Rus nodded as he spoke up. "It's obvious that a sharptooth is among us. There's no other explanation for something this frequent. But what if it's not hiding at all, and is wandering around in plain sight?" This got mutters, most asking what the Domeheads were talking about. Cepher smirked before casually displaying his bitten hand. Though it has healed pretty nicely, it still bore a scar as a forever reminder of the injury's former presence.

"I'll give you all three guesses."

Silence. Everyone was stunned at the suggestion before half-hearted whisperings began spreading as they glanced at each other in further uncertainty. But even this unsure muttering began turning into words of suspecion concerning the young sharptooth in question. Yes, the youngster seemed to be a good candidate for the cause of these disappearances, but...

"But Chomper has lived peacefully with us for more than a Cold Time and he has shown no signs of having such intentions." Grandpa Longneck said, shaking his head. "Surely-"

Cepher didn't bother letting the elder finish the sentence as he continued. "Surely, the sharptooth is getting older with each passing of the Bright Circle. If he has been here for longer than a Cold Time as you claim, then he's obviously beginning to realize that Crawlers and Buzzers aren't enough to feed himself. It's very possible he's beginning to turn on us Leaf Eaters as a result."

"Letting him stay is basically giving him permission to eat our hatchlings." Rus added as Pacia nodded in turn.

"And it's only a matter of time before he grows large enough to turn his attention to the rest of us."

This got more considerations and agreements, this time more confident of their decision. Yes, they all disliked the Domeheads greatly, but they did bring up a good point. This whole thing was Chomper's fault, they were now certain of it. And already the yells of outrage began distinguishing themselves, mostly from the mouths of those parents who lost their young ones.

"Let's drive him out!"

"Let's smash him!"

"Let's feed him to Red Claw!"

"Everyone, please! Calm down!" Grandpa Longneck spoke up relatively loudly, trying to be heard. It worked and the others began to quiet down to hear what he had to say. "We shouldn't be so rash as to assume something that we don't know for sure. For Chomper's sake and for the sake of the children, we shouldn't jump to conclusions so quickly."

"Then what do you suggest we do, Longneck?" Mr. Threehorn asked.

"I think it would be wise for us all to be more vigilant. Perhaps we should take turns watching over the Valley and work together to keep a closer eye on our children. Until we know for certain what's happening, that is the best we can do." This got a few nods and more muttering, though none was loud enough to stand out. "Now let us return to our nest for some sleep. Anyone willing to stand guard tonight?"

Nobody seemed to have heard him this time, or maybe they just weren't acknowledging his question as they started dispersing back to their nests, wanting to go back to sleep as soon as possible. Grandpa Longneck sighed, knowing his age was against him when it came to standing guard all night, but thankfully Mr. Threehorn walked over and spoke up. "I'll take watch, Longneck." At this, Grandpa nodded softly with a relieved smile.

"Thank you, my friend. I wish the best of luck." With that, he joined his mate in returning back to their nest. Mr. Threehorn grunted before glaring in the direction of the Domehead trio. They glared back before Cepher gave a mocking smirk and led his companions away to 'their' clump of trees. The old Threehorn huffed with a growl before walking off to begin his nightly watch, pausing to glare off towards the Secret Caverns, considering the words of accusation towards the young sharptooth. Could Chomper really be capable of harming those missing hatchlings? Well, he _is _a sharptooth, so maybe, just maybe...

Only time will tell...

_**The Next Day**_

"This just keeps getting better and better." Cepher growled with an amused grin, sitting at the edge of their home territory, eating a large Tree Sweet. Pacia and Rus was settled on either side of him, eating their own treats as the trio watched the hatchling sharptooth play with his friends. The Domeheads were still scoffing at this mixed species friendship. These children certainly looked old enough to have been taught some amount of species-only dignity, or to at least have the knowledge to avoid sharpteeth. Yet, here they were, giggling happily in the same gullible traits as that shared by the grown-ups. A shame, really... The trio didn't even want to imagine what the young Domeheads of the Valley were being taught. It made them shake their heads in pity at the very thought of it.

Their minds shifting back to more important manners, last night was more than a success. They weren't at all suspected and planted the first seeds needed to keep it that way. Already some of the other members of the Great Valley was focusing a bit more of their attention on the sharptooth child, but...

"This guard duty business will probably be a set-back." Pacia pointed out, keeping to her role of acknowledging the stuff that needed the most attention and this indeed needed some attention. Rus nodded in his usual agreement and this inevitably earned a smirk from their leader.

"Perhaps so, but it'll be a good thing for us. I mean, what better way to improve ourselves than to have our midnight snack right under their unsuspecting noses? Even better, the guards won't even know what they'll be looking for. They just think their vigil will be for a creature with sharp teeth and not for 'harmless, little Leaf Eaters' like us." The others nodded to this as well, as they've had similar conversations before and knew that all their questions had already been answered. It didn't really surprise them that Cepher had this whole thing figured out. They won't be at all surprised if he had another plan for tonight either, a subject that Rus couldn't help bringing up.

"Will we be having ourselves a decent meal this time?" he asked, keeping his words vague as the day-shift Flyer guard soared overhead. Cepher thought for a moment, waiting patiently for the Flyer to swoop off and mind its own business. When it did, he continued on.

"No. In fact, I have another idea. Tonight, we'll take on the guard duty ourselves."

This got a shocked reaction from the other two and it took a moment for them to recover enough to look at each other in consternation before piping up a single word simultaneously.

"Why?" After all, why waste their time helping out the Valley? That's like saving a Egg Stealer from an angry mother: there's no point in it and you have nothing to gain in the end. Plus, they were tired. They hadn't had a good night sleep in a while thanks to these secretive adult meetings at the Circle of Rocks. Why make it any worse with a stupid project like this? But fortunately, their leader had a method to his madness.

"Because nobody will ever suspect us if we do some certain contributions. We...'helped' in the meeting last night and something tells me we need to do a little bit more to strengthen their suspicions for the little sharptooth." Understanding that their leader had a hidden agenda in mind, they snickered as they ceased their casual observations of the children and returned into their clump of trees, settling into the center clearing and giving a few yawns as they curled up and fell into a restful nap. After all, they needed to be ready for their next step...

_**Later That Evening...**_

"You three...really want to help?" Grandpa questioned as the Domehead trio stood before him, each of their arms crossed. They nodded in answer to his inquiry with the usual contemptuous scowl they held when speaking to another Leaf Eater who was not of the Domehead type. "I appreciate the offer greatly, as do plenty of others, I'm sure. But may I ask why?" He couldn't help but question. These three were the last dinosaurs he'd expect to volunteer for night duty.

"Well, flathead, we've been discussing this earlier today and we've decided to do a little investigating." Cepher growled, the other nodding in deceptive casualness.

"Investigating?" the Longneck asked in confusion, wondering what they could mean by such a thing.

"Yes, investigating. That's what you call searching for the answer to a problem via clues." Rus hissed mockingly as if Grandpa was an idiot. But Pacia continued with the answer the Longneck was looking for.

"We still think the little sharptooth is responsible for all this, and we're going to prove it. What better time to do so than the night shift when the killings are likely going to be done?"

Grandpa nodded to her rhetorical question, but still felt the need to voice his reassurances concerning their theory. "Now, now. I understand your suspicions, but I truly believe that Chomper is quite innocent about this whole thing."

"You _believe_, but you don't really _know_, pebble-brain." Cepher began. "That's the real flaw in your logic. Instead of making assumptions like that and risk letting the facts slip through, allow us to reveal the truth in the best way we can. If the young sharptooth is innocent, fine. We'll admit to being wrong and we'll go on with our investigation. But if the sharptooth really is to blame, then it'll take care of this entire issue once and for all. Plus, it'll have the added bonus of showing how idiotic you all turned out to be and perhaps you'll actually start using that thing called a brain." He swished his tail with a grin. "You have nothing to lose and everything to gain by letting us take the shift tonight. So what's it going to be?"

Grandpa hesitated, but really couldn't find any reason not to let them carry out their offer. Their ideas and thoughts, though unnecessarily harsh and rude, was certainly more logical than that of some other residents around here. And although they were a rowdy bunch of aggressive dinosaurs, they haven't yet proved to be untrustworthy when it comes to a situation like this. After a moment of thinking, he nodded. "Very well. You three can take the night shift. Be careful and I wish you all luck in your ambitions."

Pacia and Rus exchanged smirks as Cepher snickered.

"Keep your luck. We won't need any of it."

* * *

Argh, why can't I underline things anymore? Oh well... Hey, I noticed a trend in my updating: they're almost always done during the weekend, even though I'm busiest during that time. Huh... Anywho, sorry for the lack of Chomper in this chapter. He'll be focused on a lot more in the next chapter as the Domehead's plot slowly begins to dig him into a deeper and deeper hole of trouble! What plans do these malicious gang of Leaf Eaters have in mind during their 'investigation'? Stay tuned to find out! *fades to black dramatically*


	6. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own anything with the name of Land Before Time!

Special thanks to the following people for reviewing:  
MissBliss8527- Your 'please' has been granted! ^^  
Bowser Jr. Nutt- Huh, ya learn something new everyday! I was always taught that a carnivore on a vegetarian diet was doomed to starve to death. I'm amazed you always leave such insightful reviews, it's refreshing. *pats myself on the back cuz you told me to*  
Queen Ghidorah- Hey, you're back! I'm glad to know my stories good enough to be read when you're crossing the street (be safe doing that, okay?) And thanks for sharing the Egg song with me! You were very nice for doing that!  
DragonLady24- Oh, a new reviewer! Thank you for giving your time to type something up! I'm glad your loving the story and no worries, I'm too lazy to log-on too sometimes! ^^

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Chapter 5

A small Fuzzer poked his little twitching sniffer out of his burrow and into the open. It was night and the time to forage was afoot. He felt especially hungry tonight as the previous night's forage didn't go too well. Hopefully, the Buzzers and Crawlers he came across would be easy for him to catch. The little fuzz-covered critter didn't know why the bugs were getting harder to find the past year or so; they just were. Well, no point in complaining, at least there were Crawlers to eat in the first place; it's better than no Crawlers at all. With the coast clear and no immediate threat of getting squished, the Fuzzer scuttled out of his home, ready to begin his work of clearing the Great Valley of its more vulnerable bugs. Running in bounds and stopping frequently, the tiny creature went around the sleeping bodies of dinosaurs, more than a little careful. After all, one shift in his direction and it'll be over for the critter. He had every reason to be wary. But at least here, there's no threat of sharpteeth.

His sniffer picking up the scent of a bug, the Fuzzer followed the scent eagerly up wind. Finding his target, he saw it was one of those long-bodied, four winged kind. One of his favorites, but the hardest kind of Buzzer to catch. He would have to be sneaky, very sneaky. Moving with incredibly slow steps, he snuck up on the bug from behind. A blindspot was almost nonexistant in this kind of Buzzer, but it pays to try to be at the spot of highest visual difficulties. Getting within range, he very quickly lunged and sank his teeth into the Buzzer. Success! Chewing and licking, this was more than a mouthful for this little creature, but that only made the accomplishment all the more exciting. This should be the same as eating ten large Crawlers! But through the crunching sounds of the shell, the Fuzzer's ears perked at a slight noise behind him, causing him to freeze before he remembered that it was safe here in the Great Valley. Probably just a sleep-walker or something. Continuing his meal, he heard the noise again and he turned just in time to see a pair of massive jaws rushing at it. A squeak of frightened surprise from his own throat was the last thing he heard in his life.

Cepher lifted his head, the small Fuzzer limp in his jaws before turning and heading back to his companions, who were waiting by the stream. Seeing Cepher approach from one of the pocket forests, they stood up to see what he caught and once they did, they tilted their heads in confusion.

"A Fuzzer?" Pacia asked.

"Why not a hatchling? Won't that be a bit easier?" Rus questioned in turn as Cepher dropped the lifeless body of his most recent victim. The lead Domehead gave a smirk and a slight chuckle at their confused inquiries and proceeded to answer them calmly.

"A hatchling _would_ be easier, yes, but also more suspecious. We have to take this nice and slow if we're to fool anyone." He looked down at the body. "We'll leave the little sharptooth this little present and it'll no doubt start making him uncomfortable enough to question himself." He returned his gaze to the other two, who were beginning to smile in understanding. "Then, in a few more nights, we'll be a bit more generous and 'offer' him a more substantial present."

"A hatchling?" Rus asked, claws clenching and unclenching eagerly.

"Exactly." Cepher confirmed with a nod of his head, earning a few snickers from his companions before he picked up the Fuzzer's body, tossing it playfully a bit before turning towards the Secret Caverns where they knew the little sharptooth lived.

Walking casually with the body held within Cepher's fist so not to be easily spotted, the Domehead trio took the neccesary precaution of not drawing attention if a dinosaur happened to be having a restless night. Looking curious, if anything, they climbed up to the cave entrance and wandered inside. Almost immediately, they spotted the young sharptooth hatchling curled up in a tight ball, sleeping. Perfect. Not knowing just how much of a light sleeper the youngster could be, the large Leaf Eaters quietly inched closer before Cepher carefully put the Fuzzer down on the ground, sliding it inch by inch towards the young carnivore. Closer... closer... closer... As soon as the Fuzzer's body came in contact with the hatchling's arm, the child shifted, muttering something incomprehensible under his breath as he grabbed the Fuzzer and dragging it closer in a kind of hug before falling quiet again.

Smirking all the more, Cepher gave a nod to his comrades before they wandered deeper into the cave, satisfying the more genuine side of their curiosity. Coming across the Fast Runner hatchling, they went over to check if she was asleep too, which she was. No harm in making sure. Continuing their way, they were in complete awe at how beautiful this place was proving to be. It seemed the deeper they went, the more complex the caves were getting. Just as they were deciding to take these caves for themselves and drive out the resident hatchlings, they came across something peculiar. It wasn't obvious and could easily be missed, but it was nonetheless there. A narrow crevice, just big enough for the Domeheads to squeeze inside, which Cepher did without hesitation. Rus and Pacia stood by, waiting for him to return and tell them where the crevice went.

It was a tighter squeeze than he thought, but it didn't stop him from continuing. Luckily, he didn't have to endure this for long before he reached the other side and stepped out, dislodging a cloud of dust and rubble before shaking himself off. Scanning his surroundings, he knew instantly that this wasn't the Great Valley, having explored the said valley an endless amount of times. Seems there was a breach that led to the Mysterious Beyond. Already, his mind began working at how to take this as an advantage...And came up with an idea. Through his time in the Valley, he knew how obsessive the other Leaf Eaters were at blocking off every entrance that led to the Mysterious Beyond. No doubt an opening like this will catch their attention, as it was certainly large enough to let in Fast Biters. If he brought the other residents here with the oh-so-innocent intention of showing them what he found, they would end up finding the young sharptooth with the dead Fuzzer...

It really couldn't get any better than this. Chuckling darkly, he turned about and made his way back to the others. They helped him out and once he's shaken the dirt off himself once more, he grinned to his comrades.

"I have our next step."

**Few Hours Later...**

The Bright Circle began to just peek over the Great Wall as Chomper shifted in his sleep. Almost time to wake up; there was another great day of playing and adventuring ahead of him. Smiling softly in his still sleeping state, he then noticed something fuzzy and cool against him. That wasn't right. It took a moment for that to comprehend and he woke up enough to open his eyes drowsily and take a look. A Fuzzer in his hold...A limp Fuzzer... According to his sniffer, it was dead. Huh... His eyes closed again and it was a mere second later before they snapped open again. A dead Fuzzer? In _his_ hold? How was that possible? Freaked out by this, Chomper instantly let go of the body and threw himself as far back as he could with a cry.

"R...Ruby?" he muttered quietly, staring at the corpse with great unease. When nothing happened, he called again with increasing desperation. "Ruby!"

"What is it, Chomper?" Ruby's sleepy response came as she wandered over to the young sharptooth's part of the cave. With a scared whimper, Chomper looked back at her and pointed to something. The Fast Runner gave a soft yawn as she wandered closer, rubbing her eyes a bit before spotting the dead body and gasping a bit. "What happened when this happened?"

"I dunno. I woke up and it was there. But I didn't do it, I swear!"

"Didn't do what?" a voice outside asked. The two youngsters looked over to see Mrs. Maia and some other adults coming into view by the cave entrance. Chomper knew this was practically the worst time for the grown-ups to arrive. And his assumption proved correct when they saw the Fuzzer's body. Most of them showed great shock with their eyes and mouths wide open and a few, namely Mrs. Maia and the familiar trio of Domeheads, glared at him. Chomper fidgetted in great nervousness, wondering what they were going to do to him. Were they just going to yell, or will they do something a bit more drastic than that? Would they drive him out? Would they _kill_ him? His heart pounding in his ears, he shifted closer to Ruby, who in turn stood by him protectively.

For a long moment, nothing happened. But before Chomper could even think to speak in his own defense, Mrs. Maia turned to the Domeheads. "Did he have _that_ when you three came in?"

At this question, the Domeheads snorted in obvious irritation and crossed their arms with a few growls before the leader answered. "If he _did_ have that when we came by, then we would've _done_ something about it, don't you think?"

"The sneaky piece of dirt must've taken it after we left." the smaller male hissed, scowling down at the little sharptooth.

"He certainly is small enough to escape notice." A spikethumb added before the adults began muttering amongst themselves. Chomper trembled before gulping down enough of his fear to speak up shakily.

"N-No! I didn't do this! I swear!"

"Sure, you didn't." Mrs. Maia scoffed skeptically as she came closer and snatched the Fuzzer's body away from the sharptooth. "We'll see who believes you when we show them this." With that, she turned and walked out of the cave. The others began to follow her, each glaring at the young sharptooth and grumbling words of great suspecion. Chomper looked at each beseechingly, silently begging them to believe him, but none of them faltered. The only ones that gave even the slightest pause was the Domeheads, who merely gave him a small smirk before they too left. Chomper watched them go and then, it was just him and Ruby again. He looked up at his care taker.

"Ruby, I didn't do it. You believe me, don't you?" he asked. The Fast Runner looked at him for a long moment before nodding.

"I believe you, Chomper." she told him before holding him close in a hug. "I believe you..."

**Later that Day...**

Chomper was definitely feeling the tense atmosphere wherever he went. The word of his 'Fuzzer Attack' spread through the Valley faster than sky fire flashing through the sky and he caught many grown-ups shooing their children out of sight whenever he passed by. This happened on a few occasions even before the Missing Hatchling phenomena, but now it was happening much more frequently. He tried his best to ignore it as he made his way to his friends, but he couldn't. He was harmless; what did he have to do to prove it to them? He just wanted to yell how all this wasn't his fault, but he knew it'll only make things worse in drawing even more suspecious attention to himself.

Finding his friends sitting together and chatting, he wandered over.

"Hey, Chomper." Cera said in a kind of edgy greeting. "How was breakfast?"

"Cera!" Littlefoot reprimanded, giving her a hard nudge before smiling to Chomper. "Don't listen to her, Chomper. So, how was your day?" he asked for himself, wanting to change the subject to something that's hopefully a bit more on the positive side. However, his answer wasn't as 'positive' as he was going for.

"Terrible. None of the grown-ups would talk to me and they still don't believe that I didn't do it." he told them.

"Well, my dad said you were caught with a Fuzzer and if I remember correctly, Chomper, Fuzzers are one of those things you _weren't _allowed to eat." Cera continued.

"But I didn't do it!" Chomper defended. "I just woke up and there it was! I don't even know how it got there!" With a sigh, he looked down to his feet as Littlefoot glared at Cera for her words. She wasn't making anything better and it's clear that their friend was upset. But then Cera did have reason to her suspecions. After all, except for Chomper's words, there wasn't much to support the notion that it _wasn't_ his fault. But Littlefoot was a loyal friend and Chomper's words were enough proof of innocence for him. The little sharptooth never lied to him once and there's no reason to believe he would start now. The others were busy considering which side of the story to believe. They didn't want Chomper to get in trouble but...

"Maybe Chomper no do it on purpose." Petrie stated. "Like Guido when he sleep-walk."

"You mean..." Chomper began, looking a bit confused. "...I did it in my sleep?"

"Of course not, Chomper." Littlefoot reassured.

"Maybe." Cera said immediately after. "Think about it. The grown-ups said you didn't have that Fuzzer thing when they checked last night. Then this morning, you had it. I think you sleep-hunting is very likely, especially since you're a sharptooth."

"Cera!" Littlefoot once more reprimanded, beginning to get frustrated with the young Threehorn and her suspecions. They were _supposed_ to be _supporting_ Chomper here! Not accusing him of something that might not be his fault in the first place!

"What? It's true!" she shot back defensively, not planning on budging from her assumptions anytime soon. Unless some hard evidence shows otherwise, everything pointed to it being Chomper's fault.

Chomper sighed as the two began to argue before Ducky came over and gently put a hand on his side. "Do not worry, Chomper. Everything will get better eventually, yup yup yup." she told him with some emphasizing nods. The young sharptooth paused for a moment before giving a soft smile at the Swimmer's reassuring words.

"Thanks, Ducky." However, his mind was flooded with thoughts, each considering the previous words of his friends. He was glad Littlefoot was still on his side, but how long will it last? Already, some of the others, namely Cera, was turning against him. And what of Petrie's words? Was it really possible that he could be sleep-hunting? That couldn't be true...could it? He obviously wouldn't know if he was doing it in his sleep. He considered asking Ruby about it, but realized that she wouldn't know either. Well, whatever the case, he had to do something before everyone in the Valley was completely and utterly against him. His fate practically depended on it.

It was decided. Tonight, he was going to put his sniffer to the test and find out what was really going on.

* * *

A bit earlier than usual, but I'm going through a difficult time right now, and writing makes me feel better, so yeah... Anywho, *clears throat and gives the narrator voice once more* It seems things are indeed getting progressively worse for Chomper. He's been framed without his own knowledge and some of his friends are beginning to doubt him. He's questioning himself, but will this questioning give him the determination needed to make things right? Find out later!

I hope you guys enjoy this early chapter.


	7. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own anything with the name of Land Before Time!

Special thanks to the following people for reviewing:  
Bowser Jr. Nutt- Sorry for making you wait so long, I hope you don't think I gave up on this story! Your advice given at an earlier chapter couldn't have been better! Anywho, once more your review is very helpful and very fascinating to read! I don't wanna give away too much, but the story will switch to the POV of another character and his/her family in a later chapter. :)  
Miss Bliss- Sorry for making you wait so long, but I finally updated! I hope you think this chapter and other chapters following it will be awesome too!  
The Great Valley Guardian- Never expected to see you here, buddy! What up! ^.^ I'm glad you've taken a liking to my story and that it caught your attention so keenly. I'm sorry for taking so long and I hope you were able to find other great LBT stories on this site!

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Chapter 6

Nightfall couldn't have come fast enough. Chomper sat in his cave, staring out as the Great Night Circle rose to join the Lesser Lights in the sky. It was a beautiful and clear night, without a single Sky Puffy to hinder the luminence of the silver glow washing over the valley. For a moment, he was content with the sight, a smile gracing his snout. If only the day could be this peaceful, without the hostility of the grown-ups... He wondered if things will ever be the same, if he'll ever gain the full acceptance of the Valley. Ah, who's he kidding? He's _never_ had the full acceptance of the valley, being what he was... Well, there was no harm in wishing it.

He should get going. Hopefully, he'll be able to find some answers before the Bright Circle reclaims the sky. Standing up, he glanced back over his shoulder as if expecting Ruby to show up at the last second before glancing about at the rest of the cave. Now, where should he begin? Perhaps he should try to pick up that Fuzzer's scent, try to figure out if there was anything suspicious about it. Wandering to his sleeping spot, he lowered his sniffer to the floor and began inhaling deeply, carefully evaluating the smells that overtook his nose. He immediately cast aside his own scent as that wasn't important. Now which one... Ah ha! There's that distinctive warm, Fuzzer smell. As expected, it also carried the scent of death...and blood... and...Domeheads?

Pausing in confusion, he sniffed again, just to be sure. Yup, he recognized that scent easily, as it's been fearfully imprinted into his mind. It was smell of the Domehead trio, the leader to be exact. But that's stupid; why should that scent be associated with the Fuzzer? After all, the trio did come into the cave the night before. It was most likely a coincidence that their scent overlapped those of the Fuzzer. Satisfied with that conclusion, he ignored the smell completely and focused on tracking where this Fuzzer came from. Concentrating, he followed the scent, lifting his sniffer from the ground to the air. The Fuzzer scent was faint and it was a bit difficult untangling it from all the other smells. Luckily, Chomper's gotten plenty of practice and it showed as he trailed the Fuzzer's scent for quite a distance. Through a clearing, towards a pocket of trees, all the way...to a hole in the ground.

Stopping in his tracks, Chomper blinked and slumped a bit. He's been led to the Fuzzer's home, the end of the trail. Well, he supposed he shouldn't be too surprised; nobody said this was going to be easy. He should spend some time thinking of what he's gathered so far. During his tracking, he did find a half-eaten body of a Flying Buzzer, covered in the little fuzzball's scent. Taken into account that that's where the Fuzzer's death smell originated, he could make the logical assumption of where and how the Fuzzer was killed. Seemed to him that it was an ambush attack, with barely any time to react. Was he capable of... He didn't have to finish that sentence. He's had plenty of hunting practice, on critters much larger than a Fuzzer. He's fully capable of attacking a Longneck of Littlefoot's size, and have a fair chance of succeeding. Although the vast majority of sharpteeth would be proud to say that, it was bad news to Chomper. If he really was sleep-hunting, what's to stop him from hurting his friends? No! No, he wasn't sleep-hunting! There had to be another explanation! Forcing the troubling thoughts to the far back of his mind, he resumed his investigation, searching the area for any clues that might give him a lead.

Nothing so far, and he began widening the range of his exploration. Although it would no doubt take him forever, he was quite willing to search this entire Valley if need be. He just _had_ to find evidence that he was innocent; to prove that innocence to Cera, to the grown-ups, and most importantly, to himself. And if it turned out that he _was_ guilty of sleep-hunting...well...

No more negative thoughts! Had to stay positive! Shaking his head to snap out of his contemplative daze, he paused as he heard noises up ahead. What the...? Shouldn't everyone be sleeping by now? Keeping silent, he let his curiosity get the best of him and slunk forward into the undergrowth. Still moving carefully so as not to stir even a single leaf, he took a peek into the clearing before him and stiffened, keeping in a whimper. It was the Domeheads. Frozen where he was, he was much too frightened to move a muscle, definitely not wanting to take any risk that could mean getting caught. He only wished that he was still thoroughly hidden and completely out of sight.

"You know, this is the first night we can actually get some sleep without those stupid meetings..." Pacia started, hissing under her breath as she watched her companions circle each other. "And you guys are honestly gonna waste it with another one of your little games?" Sometimes, the way the male mind works confused her. They outta be asleep by now and here they were glaring at each other. But despite her use of wording, this was no game. Like many groups, arguments can break out and when it came to Domeheads, those arguments were usually settled with means of violence. Even the smallest issues, like taking another's resting place, had the potential to spark a confrontation.

She should be used to it by now. True, they were all very close friends, but scenarios like this happened on more than a few occasions. What can one expect with a species this naturally aggressive?

It started when the trio started to bed down for the night. Usually, Rus slept nearest to Pacia and the female was never bothered this. Yes, it was clear to her that Rus liked spending time by her side and she suspected he even had some sort of crush on her. She didn't really feel the same, but she enjoyed the companionship nonetheless. This night was to be a peaceful one for once, with the trio finally taking a break from their schemes, but that changed when Cepher decided that _he_ was gonna sleep by Pacia this time. Rus, however, started to put up a fight to that decision and thus sparked the current events. Cepher was not appreciating the fact that the younger male was defying his orders completely and was intent on putting the smaller dinosaur back in his place. Rus didn't particularly intend it to go this far, but he still wanted to reserve his right to sleep where he pleased, including next to the object of his affections.

Stupid reasons if you asked Pacia, but who's she to interfere? Despite its 'stupid reasons', this was indeed another leadership battle and she would do best to stay out of it.

Kicking up a small cloud of dirt, Rus made his charge for a head-on attack. However, it didn't go quite according to plan when Cepher simply lowered his own head, braced himself, and took the attack. His hind claws digging into the earth, the larger dinosaur barely budged and merely pushed the attack away. Growling in frustration, Rus stumbled before regaining his footing. However, doing so was in vain as Cepher made his own charge and rammed into the smaller dinosaur's side, knocking him down completely. That outta do it. But the underdog was not to be so underestimated and he sure as heck ain't going to give up so easily as he rolled back to his feet and made another charge. This time, Cepher charged back and a loud impact was heard echoing throughout the clearing. Head-to-head, pushing and shoving, snorts of exertion was added to the growls of the fight as both Domeheads tried to make the other lose ground. But neither was willing to back off.

Finally the two seperated, only to collide heads not a second later. For a while, this process was repeated with no real gain or advantage to show. However, on what must've been the tenth impact in a row, something began to change. Cepher finally took that fateful step back. Rus sensed this and allowed a smirk to grace his snout. He could win this, he could definitely win this! Gathering up every bit of strength, he began taking steps forward, forcing his leader back even farther. Even Pacia stopped her head shaking and widened her eyes at this revelation. Could it be...?

Turns out it wasn't anything but false hope for Rus. Cepher merely gathered all of his strength in turn and took his own steps forward. Rus grunted in surprise at this and tried his best to push Cepher back to where he was. But it wasn't working as he was pushed even further back, claws leaving deep furrows in the ground before finally, the larger dinosaur gave one more shove strong enough to knock Rus backwards. Falling onto his back from the force, the young male took a few seconds to comprehend what happened. He was so very close to winning, he almost tasted victory! Now here he was on the ground. But even now, giving up wasn't an option and he rolled over with the intent to get back on his feet. However, he felt something on his neck as Cepher planted his foot there, glaring down at the smaller Domehead.

"Stay down, Rus. I've been gentle with you so far; don't force me to hurt you because you know I'd rather not." Seeing he had no other choice, Rus closed his eyes with a slow exhale and accepted his defeat, making no move to get back up. For a moment, everything was still; not even the wind blew through the undergrowth. Giving a small smirk, Cepher continued, his voice less threatening and more in his usual firm tone. "You've got a lot of spunk, but you're a little _too_ rash. Gain experience and learn from your mistakes, then maybe you'll have a chance at beating me."

Finally, Cepher removed his foot from his companion's neck and reached out a hand. Rus was silent and still for a moment, contemplating Cepher's words of rebuke, before reluctantly stretching out his own hand and allowing his superior to help him back up. Immediately, Cepher turned away to lay down next to Pacia and Rus, still a bit sour from his loss, moved a bit away to settle, curling up to keep himself warm as he started to grumble under his breath. But overall, peace was restored amongst the group and Pacia once more rolled her eyes before laying her head onto her arms to sleep, the other two following suit soon after.

After a long while of absolute stillness, Chomper finally felt his body begin to loosen up from its frozen state. Keeping down a shiver of fear and a sigh of relief, he waited a few more moments to make certain that the three grown-ups were deeply asleep before moving forward cautiously. He had witnessed the whole confrontation and naturally did not like it. Just watching it gave him a headache. However, despite that, he could swear he smelled something peculiar in this clearing and he needed to find out what it was. He knew he had to be very careful, as one wrong move could wake the Domeheads and spell disaster for him. Tip-toeing around and amongst the sleeping Domeheads, he placed his snout to the ground and quietly drew in air. There's that smell. It was faint, but still there. What was it? Perhaps he should make it stronger and thus easier to identify. As softly and as silently as he could, he began scraping the ground and immediately the smell became familiar.

Blood...

Leaf Eaters probably won't be able to detect it, but his sharptooth nose was more than powerful enough to broadcast it to his brain loud and clear. What was the smell of blood doing in this clearing? Were the Domeheads aware of it? Probably not, if they chose to live here. For a tense moment, Chomper was unsure of what to do or what to make of this. Should he tell the Domeheads that they were sleeping someplace that could be dangerous? Giving them warning would be the right thing to do. But even then, he knew that wouldn't be a good idea. If the Domeheads knew he was here, trespassing on their clearing, he'd be in big trouble.

Unfortunately, he didn't really have time to contemplate much more as one of the Domeheads gave a yawn and shifted position. Those movements was enough to send the already-flighty sharptooth packing as he dashed off as fast as he could. Emerging from the undergrowth away from the clearing, he decided that he probably had enough excitement for one night. Maybe he should head back home before he got into some real serious trouble, as his already-crumbling reputation couldn't afford such a thing. Eager to put distance between himself and the Domeheads, he dashed off towards his cave, looking over his shoulder frequently as if paranoid that the trio would come after him. Memories from their first encounter unpleasantly flashed in his mind and he was hardly paying attention to where he was going when he bumped into something big and he cried out on fearful instinct.

"Chomper? What're you doing out so late?" It was Mr. Thicknose, who has taken up guard duty tonight. Chomper wasn't sure if this incident was good or bad. Mr. Thicknose was one of the few adults that was still nice to him. Sure, the old dinosaur gained a slight edge of wariness around Chomper, but he still remained friendly to the young sharptooth. For that, Chomper was incredibly grateful. In a stressful time like this, he needed all the friends he could get. Even though he'd probably get reprimanded for staying up way past his nest-time, he was glad it was Mr. Thicknose that he ran into.

"Oh, hi, Mr. Thicknose." he greeted softly, fiddling with his claws. "I...I was looking for...something." At this, he lowered his gaze to the ground. Mr. Thicknose tilted his head at this, wondering what could be so important as to wander around this late. He was about to voice one of his many questions when Chomper muttered, "Mr. Thicknose, what do I have to do to prove that I'm a good sharptooth?"

There was a long moment of silence as Mr. Thicknose tried to think of an answer. He knew the sharptooth sought advice and reassurance, but would it be alright to give the youngster false hope? To teach him that despite every hardship, things will always work out for the better, when that's not always the case. For a split second, the old dinosaur felt torn on how he should reply. He always had a reputation as being a very wise dinosaur, among the wisest of the valley, but perhaps he should show a different side...

"I don't know, Chomper." he started, to which Chomper responded by lowering his gaze to his feet. "Perhaps there's nothing you can do. The others will believe what they want and trust me when I say that it's sometimes extremely difficult to earn their trust back..." For a moment, he trailed off sorrowfully, remembering about the lies he once told the Valley about traveling everywhere and knowing everything. He knew better now, but a few of the other residents still had their doubts of him. And he knew the same held true for Chomper... Actually it's much worse in the young sharptooth's case.

"I mean... I know I'm not doing anything wrong, that this whole thing's just...you know, a misunderstanding. But no matter what I do, not a lot of the grown-ups believes me." Chomper sighed, one of his feet lightly pawing into the ground below him. "You still believe me though, don't you Mr. Thicknose?"

Again, another moment of silence, this one much heavier than the last. In this silence, Chomper felt his heart skip a beat. Has he lost Mr. Thicknose's support too? What did he do wrong? Was it because he was wandering around past his nest-time? Well, it seemed to be the latter as the elder dinosaur made his reply gently. "Well Chomper, as a friend, I want to say that I believe you completely. But... some of the things that's turning up is making me question." He shook his head softly and his gaze became more tender. "Chomper, if you are innocent, then you must help yourself by not drawing attention. Like now, for instance. You're wandering around at night when these hatchling disappearances are happening. It's quite suspicious and if it was someone else that caught you..."

Mr. Thicknose needed to say no more. Chomper nodded softly, knowing the grown-up had a point. Gee, he must look pretty bad right now and if Mr. Threehorn or Mrs. Maia caught him, it'll just make everything worse. He hoped dearly Mr. Thicknose won't tell the other adults and would keep all this a little secret. Only one way to know...

"Are you gonna tell on me?" he asked softly and shakily, frightened at what the answer might be.

"Depends on what you're doing out here, Chomper." Mr. Thicknose continued, his usual firm but gentle tone returning. Chomper felt an instinctive relief. He was being given a chance.

"I was just trying to find out what's happening. I know everyone blames me for everything, and...and I just want to prove to them and myself that I'm a good sharptooth! I was hoping that I would find something that can help me!" Chomper explained, his words growing more passionate as he went. Nothing can change the fact that he's a sharptooth, but for the life of him, he was going to prove to everyone and to himself that nothing could be bad about him. Absolutely nothing!

Mr. Thicknose picked up on the child's growing confidence and he couldn't help but give a smile. Somehow, he couldn't believe the little one was lying to him. Everything about him, at this very moment, screamed innocence. "Very well, Chomper. I won't tell anyone about tonight. I respect that you're trying to take matters into your own hands, but remember: you must be more careful. Next time, you might not be so lucky." He glanced up at the sky, seeing that it was already very late indeed. "Now head back to your nest, Chomper. Tomorrow could be another big day."

"Okay." Chomper said with a happy grin. Yes! He still had Mr. Thicknose on his side! The old dinosaur could prove to be a big help later on. He couldn't help but hug the old Leaf Eater's leg in gratitude before heading off towards his home cavern, throwing a quiet, but enthusiastic 'Thank you!' over his shoulder.

So tonight didn't really turn up any good leads. The strange smell of blood in the clearing could mean anything and he'll have to investigate it further tomorrow...preferably when the Domeheads weren't home...

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Sorry for the long wait and for giving a chapter that's basically filler (this story isn't intended to be particularly long, but I have no intention of making it a single-digit chapter story). My obsession dimmed a bit, but now it's back (sorta)! I made a promise to complete this story and I'm gonna keep it, no matter how long it takes! Anywho, seems like the Domehead trio ain't always so problem-free with each other. And poor Chomper almost got in trouble; luckily I always imagined Mr. Thicknose to be the kind of person to help kids out. Let's hope the next chapter will be equally as kind to our little sharptooth friend.


	8. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not own anything with the name of Land Before Time!

Special thanks to the following people for reviewing:  
Bowser Jr. Nutt- Ah, one of my favorite reviewers-that-also-loves-Mario! How ya doing? *hugs* Hopefully, you'll have perfect timing on this chappy too! Thank you on complimenting my visual details; I do try to add as much description as I can, usually at the cost of losing touch with reality! XD I was a bit nervous revealing that semi-romance between the Domeheads, but I've been subtly hinting at it the previous chapters, so I have no worries of it 'appearing-out-of-nowhere'. And yes, I'm one of those thoughts-in-descriptions rather than in dialogue type of authors. Sorry if I confuse you with it! ^.^'  
Miss Bliss- So glad you're still sticking around. This story will never be abandoned! It might take a bit to update, but it'll never die! Hopefully, this chapter will induce another "colon capital D"!  
SuperMarioKyle- Hopefully, you'll be satisfied with this chappy as it will indeed have a bit more of your cowbell! Thank you for reviewing; I'm always glad to hear from another Mario fan!  
blitzer99- Ahhhh! Review spamming! Just kidding; I don't mind multiple reviews in a row like that! I'm actually pleasantly surprised that you took time to do that and your enthusiasm certainly helped in my motivating spark!  
Linzerj- Thank you for your two reviews! The adorable image of Chomper in detective clothing will stay in my mind forever now, thanks for that :D !  
Lanney-Sama- Are you alive to read this chapter? *pokes* And this is one of your favorites? *blushes* Aw, thanks! *hugs*  
Arkham18- Thank you for the fav and the review! I'm glad I got ya hooked and that you'll stay hooked until the very end of the story!

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Chapter 7

Sleeping in isn't really something Chomper did on a daily basis, but he couldn't help it given that he stayed up exceptionally late last night in his investigation. Normally he would wake up pretty early to join his friends, who in turn seemed a bit worried at his absence. Ruby had visited him on occasion to check up on him and although she did try to wake him up in concern a couple of times, he barely bothered to stir. It was only a few hours after he was left in peace that he showed the first signs of consciousness. Curling up in a tight ball as he hugged his tail, snuggling his nose against it, he gave a soft yawn as eventually his mind began to awaken on its own. Fluttering his eyes open, he wondered what time it was before giving a stretch and standing. Rubbing his eyes, he wandered out the Cavern as he glanced up at the Bright Circle's position. It was almost at the very center of the clear blue sky; it felt so weird waking up this late.

Slowly recalling what happened last night, he remembered the bloody smell from the clearing and felt his heart jump as he was about to make a dash for that very spot. But luckily his common sense returned to counter that enthusiasm and he skid to a halt, his claws leaving small furrows in the dirt. He can't just go charging in there; what if those Domeheads were still hanging around? They will not appreciate hearing that he's been sneaking around, even if it was for their own good. Crestfallen, he felt a sliver of fear go through his body before he slowly made his way to the Domehead's clearing. No harm in making sure they were gone, just in case he would be free to investigate. He certainly couldn't believe that he almost made that foolhardy mistake and he soon found that if he _had_ gone through with that rash decision, he would've been in deep trouble as he spotted that the resident Domeheads were indeed still home. Somehow tensing up in fear and breathing a sigh of relief at the same time, he tried to look casual as he walked by, giving the clearing what he thought would be a respectable distance, the three Leaf Eaters glaring in his direction. With a soft whimper, he sped up to wander passed the clearing, hoping desperately his chosen distance was good enough so as not to be chased off. To his great fortune, the Domeheads let him go without a single growl.

"You think that's suspicion or fear?" Pacia asked with a malicious smirk as they watched the sharptooth hatchling hurry off to wherever he was heading to. No doubt he was going to play with those stupid friends of his, completely unaware of what future they held for him.

"Fear, most definitely." Rus said with great amount of satisfaction as Cepher gave a thoughtful grunt, crossing his arms as he evaluated what he picked up from the hatchling's demeanor.

"Could be a combination of both…" he told them as the young sharptooth disappeared completely from sight. His tail twitching a bit, he looked over at his two companions. "We'll keep an eye on him," He gave his own smirk. "And we'll keep him so fearful of us that he'll have no room for suspicions."

This got a snicker from the others as they resumed their resting in the shade. Being midday, it was a very lazy hour for them and relaxing in the shadows of the trees was always a good way to pass the time. Pacia rolled her eyes a bit with a smile as Rus made a point in laying beside her, but Cepher paid little mind as he began contemplating their next move.

"We'll give it a few more days to catch up on our sleep." He began. "Then we'll take another round of guard duty so we can find our dear little sharptooth 'friend' with an unexpected gift in his claws." The other two nodded, eager to carry that part of the plan out as it'll amuse them to no end to see just how the little hatchling will react waking to find another dead body in his grasp. That look would be worth a thousand Tree Sweets and with that in mind, they rested the heads down, for once peaceful …

Chomper glanced back over his shoulder to make certain that he wasn't being chased before he sighed and let his arms goes limp at his sides. That was a close one; perhaps he'll have better luck on his side at another time. Till then, he'll just have to carry on with his day, like usual. Finding Spike feeding on a poor hapless bush, he wandered over to the young Spiketail, who didn't seem to notice him as his head was currently buried in his Green Food. It always amazes Chomper how much Leaf Eaters eat in general, but Spike exceeded even that amazement by eating way more than what was usual. He never seemed to get a stomach ache or anything from eating so much; just where does he put it all? Tapping the larger dinosaur on the side, he smiled as Spike pulled his head out of the bush and turned to look at him, mouth full of leaves.

"Hey, Spike. Can I ask you a few things?" he questioned, delighted when the laid-back mute nodded and sat down, swallowing his leaves. "Remember yesterday? When the grown-ups were mad at me?"

Spike nodded again; in fact, he still had the sense that the grown-ups were still mad at the little sharptooth. While Chomper was still asleep, the gang was warned about the dangers of being with him by several adults, but none of them really took it to heart. Why should they turn their backs on one of their friends just because some grown-ups told them to? That wouldn't be _real_ friendship! Taking another bite from the bush, he was still all ears as the younger child continued.

"Firstly, you don't think I'm doing all this, do you?" That was a question he couldn't help asking. He knew where all his other friends stood, but was still uncertain of Spike's position. The Spiketail paused as he looked the sharptooth over, chewing thoughtfully. Although he tended to be influenced by the opinions of his friends, and certainly the opinion of his older sister, he did have a mind of his own. Others like Cera probably didn't think so, but he was a very observant soul; that's part of the reason why he chooses not to talk as doing so will only get in the way of truly connecting with his environment.

To him, Chomper just doesn't have it in him to hurt anybody, at least not intentionally or willingly. Spike knew his companions incredibly well in terms of personality and he had a pretty reliable sense of character judgment, and Chomper just didn't fit in with what the grown-ups are saying. Maybe when Chomper is older and bigger, he could _possibly_ be a threat; but even then, Spike couldn't see him harming the dinosaurs of the Great Valley and certainly could not see him hurting his friends. So…

Chomper felt another weight lift off of him as Spike shook his head; he was so glad he had another friend on his side. He certainly couldn't afford anymore doubt; Cera and the grown-ups were more than enough for him. Forcing his way through his wave of happiness, he continued on with business. "Well, I've been thinking about what Petrie said, you know, about the sleep-hunting thing. What if that's what's happening? Do you know how to help, or someone who could help?"

Spike got a thoughtful look on his face, humming a bit as he took another huge chunk of the bush, stripping off almost all the leaves in that one chomp. Thinking calmly, he recalled someone else who had a sleep-walking issue; in at least one occasion, it even got them in trouble in the Mysterious Beyond. Surely, that someone would know what to do! Giving his friend a nod, he stood up and pushed right through the bush he was previously eating, easily flattening it as Chomper followed close behind. The two children traveled a little ways off, Chomper trying to ignore the looks he was getting and he wondered where Spike was taking him. The young Spiketail stopped at a tree, looking high up in the branches and making a long cry in a beckoning tone.

A few seconds later came a response from the tree-top. "Spike? Is that you?" Chomper immediately recognized the voice as Guido came into view from a hollow in the tree. The teal-colored Glider looked down and spotted Chomper, immediately looking nervous as his crest flattened against his head. Nevertheless, he gave an uneasy smile and shaky wave that made Chomper feel disheartened, despite the greeting. "Hi, Chomper…"

"Hey, Guido." The sharptooth greeted back as he waited for Guido to ask whether he was still friendly or not so he can reassure him. The Glider always gave that inquiry upon every meeting with the young sharptooth, always wanting to make sure he wasn't in any danger. But the Glider didn't ask that this time, and Chomper wasn't too surprised really. No doubt the prickily bundle had heard of the recent events and it showed in the fear present in his current demeanor.

"S-so…" Guido began, staying safely on his branch. "What brings you two here? Where's everyone else?" He glanced about, always used to seeing the whole gang whenever they came to visit.

"I asked Spike if he knew someone who could help me, and he took me to you." Chomper stated, seeing some surprise in the nervous pseudo-Flyer. He tilted his head. "Petrie says you sleep-walk?" Even before this whole mess, Chomper has heard a little bit of Guido's strange tendency to wander off in his sleep, but he never would've put much thought into it if it wasn't for Spike's guidance. Surely, the Glider will hold the answer to his problem!

The question brought an almost embarrassed smile on the small dinosaur's beak and he rubbed the feathers on the back of his neck. "Yeah, heh, a little, I suppose. Apparently, I also sleep-fly and I almost got eaten for it on at least one occasion that I know of…" Oh, those were terrifying memories and he gave a soft shudder at the thought of that sharptooth's open jaws that came so close to swallowing him whole. Unwilling to relive that unpleasant reverie, he returned his attention to the present day and asked with genuine curiosity. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, I think I might be sleep-walking too." He purposely left the sleep-hunting part out as he didn't wanna freak out the already jumpy critter. "I was wondering, how do you keep yourself in your nest?" Chomper asked, relieved to see Guido relax a bit. At least now, the Glider knew that he meant no harm being here and only wanted some advice.

Offering a more whole-hearted smile, Guido went back inside his hollow for a moment before returning to his perch, holding a vine in his hands. "I tie this to my leg and then tie the other end to this branch. That way, when I sleep-walk I have to stay in the tree…Although that isn't always the case…" Again, another embarrassed smile came to his face as he recalled a few times when he woke up dangling upside down between the branch and the ground. That situation was less than dignified, but at least it was better than waking up lost in the Mysterious Beyond, or worse, inside the belly of a sharptooth…

Chomper only needed a mere second to contemplate that idea before beaming. "That sounds good! Thanks, Guido!"

"No problem, I guess…" Guido replied as Chomper and Spike turned to leave before he piped up again. "Wait! Um…" He hesitated when Chomper turned back to him. Wringing his hands, he knew he had to question Chomper about this. "About what's been happening, uh…" He tried to find a way to phrase this without being insulting, although he knew it would probably be useless. "You're not really doing all these horrible things, are you? I'm not saying that I think you _did_, I'm just wondering…"

Chomper looked down at his feet, reminded of how fragile everyone's trust in him was; it made Guido's heart ache and he regretted asking in the first place. But the words were already out there and he could only wait for Chomper's answer.

"No, I didn't. I mean, I don't _think _I did. Some think I'm…sleep-hunting, that's why I wanted help to start with." He looked up at Guido and gave a soft smile. "But I think we solved that problem now."

Guido felt his heart lighten again, knowing Chomper wasn't too upset with him for asking. If the young sharptooth really was sleep-hunting, at least everything will be okay again. And to think, he contributed to the solution; it made him feel all good and warm inside. Giving a returning smile, Guido glided down to the duo, landing skillfully on the ground by them and placing a wing on Chomper's shoulder in a trusting gesture.

"Good luck, buddy." He encouraged, handing him the vine and causing Chomper's smile to grow. Hope was far from lost, so long as he was willing to fight for it alongside his friends…

**A Few Nights Later…**

It seemed his plan was working, really genuinely working! Getting ready to sleep, Chomper tied his vine to a thin stalagmite before tying it around his ankle, careful not to make it uncomfortably tight while at the same time making sure it'll hold him. As much as he could gather, since he started using the vine, there have been no new killings going on in the Valley. After enduring so much stress the last couple of days from the adults, it felt good to know that things were getting back to normal. Curling up in his usual ball, he closed his eyes as his mind flowed peacefully, fading gently as he fell into deeper and deeper states of unconsciousness.

But although he felt good that his plan had worked, his subconscious wasn't too thrilled. After all, if his plan was working, then that meant he really _was _responsible for the killings. He never wanted to acknowledge that fact in his waking hours, so it chose to surface in another way. Shifting a bit as his subconscious began voicing its reasoning through his sleep-stories, he tried to ignore it all even as the unpleasant images echoed through his sleep-filled mind:

_He was in the Valley, but it looked incredibly different. Everything was darker than even the blackest of nights. The sky was covered in ominous grey Sky Puffies, spitting out Sky Fire that set the landscape ablaze. The air was thick and it felt like he could hardly breathe although he was getting his air all the same. He didn't know where in the Valley he was, but he did see his friends. He wanted to call out to them, but something even more disconcerting was happening here. His best friends were running scared, as if he was Redclaw. And indeed, he seemed to have grown to the size of the giant sharptooth, much to his horror. That horror could only grow as his predatory instincts tried to take over, tried to break through the restraints Chomper tried so hard to build in his day-to-day life._

_He didn't wanna hurt them at all, but for some reason he couldn't speak, at least not in Leaf Eater. Every word out of his mouth was in sharptooth tongue, and they weren't the words he wanted nor were they in his own voice. No matter what he said, all that emerged from his throat were horribly savage words, telling the frightened morsels, -his best friends!-, how they're all going to die. Unable to control himself, he gave chase as they ran, the landscape shifting to trap them in a dead end very similar to how he trapped them back home on the island. _

_There they were, cowering at his feet, looking for all the world like defenseless little hatchlings. And indeed, they were literal hatchlings as he lunged down upon them with open jaws, their screams ringing in his ears as he bit down with a crunch…_

Waking up in a jolt, it took a moment for Chomper to register that the scream was still echoing through the air and it took even longer for him to catch his breath. It was just a dream, but… Turning his head towards the entrance, the scream was cut off and he stood, compelled to investigate. It couldn't have been the Hatchling Phenomenon starting up again, could it? He was here and tied up! Or maybe…

Realizing the possibility that it could've been someone else killing off the children, he untied the vine and wandered out of the cavern. Cautiously, knowing he could possibly be dealing with another sharptooth, he headed to where he swore that scream came from. It sounded close, but he knew he had to hurry, as the night guards were no doubt going to check it out as well; from what he heard, the Domeheads were the guards tonight and he certainly didn't want to cross paths with them…

Here, he was certain this was where the scream originated. It was a small clearing, and there were fresh hatchling tracks on the ground. This had to be the place! Relying on his sniffer, he sought out the most recent scent of a baby and picked out a Swimmer hatchling of some sort. There was also another disturbing scent intermingled with it: Domeheads. Strange that no matter which victim he sniffs for, there was always _their_ scent in association with it. Narrowing his eyes a bit in confusion, he focused on the hatchling scent and began following it, finding the trail was mostly in the air, as if the little one was being carried. And the Domehead scent was still very persistent; it was almost like…

He almost wasn't paying attention to where he was going until he heard hushed voices just up ahead. Tensing at the familiar sounds, he silently slunk forward into some undergrowth and peek out carefully. What he saw sent horrible chills down his spine and it took everything he had not to whimper. For right there in front of him was the terrifying Domehead trio and there, held tight in the leader's grasp was…

"That no-good hatchling nearly woke the entire valley." Rus growled silently, glaring at the limp body of a small Big Mouthed Swimmer. Cepher shushed him as he stayed tense, listening for any signs of someone hearing that scream. There was nothing so far, but he couldn't be too certain just yet. Turning back to the other two, he hissed under his breath.

"Alright, let's take this thing to that sharptooth. With any luck, everyone who heard will link that scream to him instead of us." Receiving nods from his companions, he was about to depart for the Secret Caverns when he heard a sharp snap.

Chomper felt his heart practically stop as he heard a twig break in half under his foot when he tried to back away. Frozen in terror and hardly able to breathe, he saw the Domeheads snap their attention to his clump of undergrowth and he almost whimpered when they advanced towards him to investigate. For an instant, he didn't know what to do: stay here and he'll get caught for sure. Run and he'll still get caught. Stay. Run. Stay…

He dashed off as fast as he could, hearing the murderous Leaf Eaters give chase…

* * *

Oh no, run Chomper! Run like your life depended on it…which it pretty much does! D: Anyway, sorry for the wait, but I'm employing a new strategy and I'm now attempting to write out the rest of the story in my Word Document whilst my short burst of LBT-loving is still strong.

According to my chapter outline, this story'll probably have around 13 or 14 chapters. Like I said, it was never intended to be too long a story as I prefer quality over quantity (plus, if it's too long, we'll be here a loooooong time). Each chapter is fully planned out and is also supplemented with occasional requests (ex. This chapter never intended to include Spike, but a lot of people wanted to see my take on him in this story, so there ya go! :D ) I guess you can call this chappy a little bit of a fan-service, catering to those who wanted to see Spike, Guido, and a bit more Chomper. I believe this chapter is the first of a couple to focus almost solely on Chomper's POV. Cool!


	9. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I do not own anything with the name of Land Before Time!

Special thanks to the following people for reviewing:  
blitzer99- My First review of the chapter and it made me feel a bit better. Thanks for enjoying Spike; I always saw him as the thoughtful type despite mainly people thinking he's….er…yeah. And I love Guido too, so I had fun putting him in. Lol! Should I be concerned with how much you want characters to die? XD  
S.C.R.E.A.M.I.N.G.M.A.N.T.I.S- Thanks! Let's see if your hopes are realized in this chappy, shall we?  
Miss Bliss- Firstly: Updates are awesome! I think it's safe to say that you can expect faster updates for the time being! Secondly: That's my favorite portrayal of Spike too! And I'm glad you liked the Guido cameo and the interactions! Thirdly: Is Chomper gonna make it? Let's find out in this chappy! And fourth (ly): I had this chapter done for a while and it was torture waiting to submit it! I wanted to submit it practically on the same day as the last chapter, but then there would be no point in the evil cliffhanger of doom!  
Bowser Jr. Nutt- I'd say your timing is perfect in another way: I've been planning to submit this chapter today, so it was a pleasant surprise to see that you've dropped in a review beforehand! :D I'm soooo glad to hear that I've inspired you on such a level that you're considering your own LBT fic! As repayment for your insightful reviews, you can expect me to read it and give my two cents whenever I can! :) I'm also glad that you liked my last chapter and even attempted to use your phone for your review. Although it didn't work as plan, it's still flattering to know you took that extra effort!

* * *

Chapter 8

This was by far way more terrifying than their first encounter. Don't get him wrong, that first pursuit was pure terror, still fresh in his mind; but this encounter was altogether very different. When he first came across them, they were just ordinary Leaf Eaters in his mind. When they tried to kill him, Chomper could've at least understood the reason behind it, and was regrettably almost used to it. But now, he saw them as real cold-blooded killers, murderers, for reasons he couldn't understand. Why would Leaf Eaters kill a Leaf Eater hatchling? It wasn't natural! These creatures weren't natural!

Pushing his legs as fast as they could go, he risked a short glance behind himself just in time to see the smaller male leap at him with claws intent on digging through his skin. With a cry, he instinctively threw himself out of the way, rolling into some undergrowth. His eyes were starting to fill with tears and he did his very best to keep them back so they won't hinder his retreat. Scrambling to get to his feet, he carefully slunk through the undergrowth as if he was stalking a Buzzer, but done a lot more urgently. Hopefully, the plants above him will shield him from sight…

Claws tore through the vegetation directly over him and he cried out as he took off, those same claws barely missing him as they attempted to grab him. Not knowing where was safe, Chomper dashed off in a random direction. Where should he go? What should he do? How was he going to get out of this? He didn't know the answer to any of those questions; right now, he was listening only to his instincts and they were telling him to keep running…

And also, to fight as he felt teeth sink into his tail and he screamed in pain as he looked over his shoulder to see who caught him. Realizing it was the female Domehead, he allowed a sharptooth growl to escape his mouth, his body on autopilot as it didn't particularly care about breaking his promise again. This was life or death, just like before; except this time, nobody was here to save him except himself and the very sharptooth nature he's been burying for so long. Turning around, he sank his own teeth into her muzzle, barely being careful to avoid the twin horns on her nose. Hearing the Domehead's muffled cry as well, he felt his feet leave the ground as she stood back up, attempting to shake his teeth from her snout. But Chomper had no intentions of letting go until she let go of his tail first, instinctively raking his claws against her skin, every one of his actions easily drawing blood.

Her scream only seemed to encourage him for an instant, but the action of screaming has caused the Domehead to release his tail and Chomper forced himself to stop and let go, landing on the ground and dashing off, only to be cut off by the smaller male. His intense fear just as strong as ever, he tried to retreat in another direction, only to be cut off by the leader. Glancing back at the female, he saw that she has recovered and was now glaring death at him. Struggling to catch his breath, he cried out on pure instinct, his words pulled from the very depths of his being.

"Mommy! Daddy!"

For an instant, the Domeheads seemed tense, before they realized that the sharptooth had no parents here to protect him; that desperate cry typical of a hatchling was completely useless. But still, Cepher glanced about with a soft hiss, aware that others could very well respond to the noise. Glaring back at the trapped sharptooth, he spoke with an incredibly sharp tone.

"Someone shut him up before one of those stupid Valley idiots actually start caring!" he snarled, Pacia nodding with a particularly malicious look in her eyes, nearly her entire muzzle covered in blood.

"I would be my pleasure." She stormed up to the sharptooth, who growled at her and attempted to bolt again. Luckily, she caught him, claws clamping onto the back of his little neck so as not to be bitten again. Vengefully, the female Domehead shoved the sharptooth's snout right into the dirt, muffling his cries and sobs. Rus immediately went to the nearest Tree Sweet tree, taking some vines and a fruit before walking up to the struggling sharptooth.

_You're gonna die, you're gonna die! Keep fighting! You have to keep fighting!_ Those thoughts were practically screaming in Chomper's head, but no matter how much he struggled, he couldn't get free of the claws that held him. He was getting dirt in his mouth and he couldn't even spit it out as his sniffer was still being driven painfully into the ground. But then, there was some relief as the female allowed his head to shift and he spat out the dirt and pebbles in his mouth, immediately crying out.

"Let me g-!" That demand was cut off by a Tree Sweet being shoved into his mouth, so far in that it almost choked him and the fruit was large enough to take up his entire mouth. His teeth had punctured the skin of the fruit, drizzling horribly disgusting juice into his maw. He tried to spit it all out, but he couldn't manage it as it was wedged too tightly. Tensing his jaw muscles, he bit down on the fruit, seeing no other option. The Tree Sweet smushed between his teeth, his mouth flooding with the sickening juices and pulp and the large seed almost choking him.

Unfortunately, before he could spit the nasty piece of plant out, the smaller male tied his muzzle shut with a vine, smirking sadistically as he did so. Whimpering, Chomper couldn't bring himself to swallow as he knew it would only make him incredibly sick; too sick to really defend himself. Even holding the Tree Sweet in his mouth was torture and tears flowed freely down his cheeks as he felt his hands and feet being tied as well. Well, this was it. They were going to kill him, and he'll soon join the Swimmer hatchling still in the leader's grasp…

"That's good enough. Now let's get out of here." Cepher told his companions, casting one last look around before running off towards their clearing. Rus followed and Pacia took off after him, still holding the young sharptooth in an intentionally rough hold. The hatchling was still struggling despite his bonds, but neither of them paid any attention as they arrived in the home territory. Without missing any amount of time, Pacia threw the sharptooth against a tree, the hatching's muffled cry barely echoing passed the surrounding vegetation. Turning to Cepher, the others wondered their next course of action. Capturing the sharptooth had not been part of the plan at all, nor was said sharptooth supposed to have seen them with the hatchling Swimmer. Just how much did the stupid little critter see?

Cepher walked over to the hatchling, pulling the creature upright and pushing him hard into the tree to force him into a sitting position. The sharptooth whimpered and only looked up at him with terrified, tear-filled eyes and it brought a smirk on the lead Domehead's face. "You're quite a nasty and troublesome little sharptooth, aren't you?" He taunted, bringing the dead body of the Swimmer to the youngster's face. "You feeling hungry?"

The sharptooth responded to this with a teary glare, his anger showing easily in his fear, before turning his head away. Cepher growled in amusement before lifting a claw and turning the sharptooth's gaze back to him. "Then am I to assume you're enjoying that Tree Sweet?" he continued with his taunts, chuckling darkly as the sharptooth took on a sickened look, an obvious answer to his question. So the little one was starting to grow ill from the fruit… That's good. Then they can use it to their advantage.

With that little piece of info, Cepher immediately turned to business. "I can let you spit it out, sharptooth. We need to have a little chat with you, and for that we'll have to remove that vine." He caught a glimmer of hope in the sharptooth's eyes, no doubt hoping to call for help once his mouth was freed, and it felt all the more satisfying to squash that pathetic little hope. "But if you scream, we'll shove another one in there. If you scream and _bite_, we'll find a Tree Sweet that's a bit more on the…poisonous side." He snickered at the look of horror on the hatchling's face before he finished his statements. "Knowing that, I'm sure that even an idiot sharptooth like you will be smart enough to cooperate, yes?"

Seeing no other alternative, Chomper nodded. Keeping the Tree Sweet in his mouth was starting to take its toll. His head was starting to hurt and his stomach was trying to rid itself of the Crawlers he had for dinner. He couldn't take it anymore and, despite himself, he felt a bit of relief when the lead Domehead slipped the vine off his snout, the little sharptooth wasting no time spitting the disgusting stuff out of his mouth. There was still the after-taste to deal with, but at least the Tree Sweet was gone. He of course had the urge to scream, but he knew better than to make that mistake, lest the Domehead makes true on his threat.

His coughs and gags settling down, he wondered just what these Domeheads had in store for him and already his mind was swimming with possibilities, most of them having to do with bloodshed. He shuddered and his fear still wasn't going anywhere as the Leaf Eater before him growled out a question that Chomper almost missed, his mind so preoccupied contemplating his fate.

"How much did you see, sharptooth?" For a moment, Chomper didn't respond. Not really out of defiance, but because he was easily confused in this high state of extreme stress. When he did manage to choke something out, it was in a shaky mutter.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about." This earned a growl from the Leaf Eater, as if he thought Chomper was purposely testing him. The youngster tensed up, anticipating some more pain, but none came as the large dinosaur in front of him changed his question.

"What were you doing following us? Someone of your size really shouldn't be out so late." He told him, and Chomper couldn't help but feel a spark of irritation. 'Someone of _your_ size'? What did he mean by that? He was not little! But that issue took the backseat in this situation and Chomper tried to find his voice again, not wanting to see how much patience his interrogator would have for him.

"I heard a scream and I only wanted to find out where it was coming from…" Tears were starting to well up again, but he held them back. "But I didn't find anything… So I used my sniffer and I found you guys…"

"You saw nothing else?" the Domehead growled sternly, glaring into his eyes even as Chomper shook his head.

"No. That's all I saw, I swear." No way was he going to say that he knew exactly how that Swimmer died; although he was pretty sure it was the truth, he saw no gain in accusing them of murder. In fact, that'll probably only make things worse and this situation needed no help in that department.

"He's lying!" the smaller male exclaimed, the female wasting no time nodding in agreement. Feeling his heart skip a beat, Chomper shook his head desperately, unable to keep himself from piping up.

"No, I'm not!" he defended, still hoping beyond everything that his words will count for something. The leader's glare at him never faltered, and Chomper stared right back, trying to keep himself from breaking in case the Domeheads will take that as a sign of deceit. After a long moment of silence, the leader snorted and looked over to his companions.

"I suppose it doesn't matter either way. He has still seen too much and we can't afford him sticking around much longer."

A wave of fear crashed over Chomper as a whimper escaped his throat. Those words certainly had a very threatening ring to it, and he was certain that these might be his last moments. Gathering every bit of air, he tried to choke out some more words, his tears finally breaking loose as he began to sob. "Please…Don't hurt me…" It came out as a soft, pleading whisper and it surprised him that the Domeheads heard it at all.

Giving a smirk, Cepher shook his head as he placed the Swimmer's body on the ground. "_We_ won't be the ones you'll have to worry about, sharptooth. Only those that you so foolishly call your 'friends'." Reaching out behind their captive's back, he felt the sharptooth tense up as he untied the young one's claws, only to tie them up again in front for easier access. Taking the Swimmer's body again, he shoved it into the sharptooth's hold. "Mind taking that for me?"

The child tried to drop the body, obviously wanting nothing to do with it, but Cepher wasn't going to let him. His own claws forcing the sharptooth's grip tighter, he saw blood start dripping from the body. Shifting his grasp, he dragged the sharptooth's claws down the body, forcing the young one to mangle the corpse and stain himself with its blood. The carnivorous hatchling tried to pull his hands away, and almost seemed about to bite. Cepher wasn't bothered by that and even took advantage of the child's obvious urge to snap by ripping the Swimmer free of his grip and shoving it into that eager mouth.

It took a moment for Chomper to realize what just happened and he immediately let the Swimmer's body go and turned his head away. Unfortunately, he wasn't having a say in this at all and the large Domehead pushed the body insistently against his mouth. Chomper refused it and kept his jaws clamped tight. However, he soon felt claws prying it open and although he tried to struggle, it did not good as the body was pushed back inside. He was about to spit it out again when those same prying claws closed around his snout, keeping his mouth shut against his will.

Sobbing even more, he felt blood trickle in his mouth, replacing the Tree Sweet's disgusting after-taste with its more appealing saltiness. Although his sharptooth nature naturally craved more, he felt revolted by it. This was the same kind of Swimmer as Ducky; who knows, this might even be one of her younger sisters! It made him feel even sicker than he already was and he wanted the body out of his mouth much more than that Tree Sweet. In fact, he'll take another disgusting plant over this any time. But, mercifully, after what seemed like forever, the Domehead removed the body from his mouth and Chomper choked up on both his tears and that horribly delicious taste still plaguing his tongue.

Still whimpering and sobbing, he glanced up at the Domehead, who was examining the torn body thoroughly, and the little sharptooth tried to choke out some more words. "No more…"

"We have all we need." The Leaf Eater responded with a growing malicious grin. Chomper shook his head, trying to throw off the heavy tears tickling his cheek, and he continued his shaky attempts to speak with the question that's been plaguing his mind since finding them earlier that night.

"Why...?"

The Domehead turned his attention to him, his grin never once leaving his snout as he gave the answer Chomper wasn't looking for. "That's not really any of your business, sharptooth."

Feeling claws grab the scruff of his neck again, Chomper had little fight left in him even as he was picked up and carried off to who-knows-where. "My name's Chomper…" was the only thing to leave his bloodied mouth, and even then it wasn't as defiant as he intended it to be. Regardless, he was ignored as the trio left the clearing towards the Longneck nest. But it seems they didn't have to go that far before they ran into an old rival.

"What's with all the noise? Some of us are trying to sleep, Domeheads!" Mr. Threehorn growled as he glared at the trio, the leader of which seemed to be holding something behind his back.

"Your precious sleep can wait, old-timer. Gather your insignificant friends and arrange another meeting." Cepher growled back in his typical dominating fashion, much to Threehorn's increasing agitation.

"What're you talking about?" the impatient dinosaur huffed, only earning a smirk from the Domeheads as Cepher threw something at Topsy's feet. Glaring at the trio before looking down to see what they presented, his eyes widened and his jaw dropped as he saw a blood-covered Chomper staring imploringly up at him, the mangled body of a baby Swimmer laying right beside him…

**Later That Night…**

The Rock Circle has never been so crowded as it seems that every Leaf Eater in the Valley, adult and children alike, has made efforts to attend the meeting. Many of the youngsters looked confused as to what was going on, their parents glaring towards the center of the circle, where Chomper stood free of his bonds next to the incriminating evidence beside him. He certainly didn't want to be here, and he was well-aware that his fate rested in the hands of those around him. It wasn't a good feeling, especially since the vast majority of them were obviously wishing him dead.

As soon as everyone was accounted for, Grandpa Longneck reluctantly started to speak, clearly upset despite trying his best to remain calm with this situation. "Tonight we gather to decide a…sentence… against Chomper for…unspeakable crimes against the Valley…" It clearly took a lot of will to say that, as Grandpa cared very deeply for Chomper and it pained him greatly to say those words. Looking down, he saw Littlefoot huddled by the leg of his grandma, distress and uncertainty written all over the young Longneck's face.

It certainly brought great pain to Chomper as he looked around at the faces of his friends. All of the gang, even Cera whom has accused him several days before, looked incredibly shocked at what was going on around them. Chomper could even feel a bit of disappointment radiating from them, especially from Mr. Thicknose, who couldn't even bring himself to look him in the eye. Unable to take it, Chomper spoke up.

"But I didn't do it! You have to believe me!" he shouted, only to earn a reprimanding glare from Mrs. Maia.

"Don't speak unless spoken to, sharptooth." She hissed. Chomper reluctantly closed his mouth as the Domehead trio spoke up for their part, expertly hiding their true sinister nature as Cepher retold what happened earlier, taking liberty to bend the truth.

"We were out on our night duty when we heard a loud scream closeby the Secret Caverns. I'm pretty sure at least some of you air-heads have heard it echoing through the Valley," This got some mutters from the crowd, many of them agreeing that they indeed heard that scream. "Of course, we felt the need to investigate and who should we find but this piece of dirt killing the child."

"That's a lie!" Chomper interrupted desperately, pointing accusingly at the Domeheads, knowing his future was at stake. "You all-"

"Silence!" Mrs. Maia once more reprimanded, her glare enough to remind Chomper of his place and he fell silent again, a mixture of fear, rage, and despair welling up inside of him. He had to tell everyone the truth, but he supposed that he'll have his time to speak. At least, he hoped he would…

The sharptooth silenced, the trio continued, Rus picking up where his leader left off. "We tried to intervene, but it was too late to save the young one. The sharptooth tried to run, but we certainly wasn't going to let him get away with such a crime."

The other Leaf Eaters nodded, returning their glares at the sharptooth, who remained focus on Grandpa Longneck. The old dinosaur stared back, sympathy heavy on his aged face as he spoke. "You may now speak, Chomper."

The young sharptooth wasted no time, putting every bit of everything he had into his words. "I swear, I didn't do it! I was in my nest sleeping when I heard the scream! I went over to see what it was; I-I thought it would be something that can help clear my name! I found a clearing and sniffed for the hatchling! My sniffer led me right to them!" He pointed to the Domeheads. "They had the Swimmer and I know, I KNOW that they're the ones who killed her!"

There was a heavy silence as confusion etched itself on the Leaf Eaters' face before a hostile chorus of laughter rang through majority of the adult crowd. A Leaf Eater killing another Leaf Eater was practically unheard of in this day and age, especially in such a peaceful place as the Great Valley. This sharptooth was out of his mind if he thought they were going to buy that story.

"Now why would we want to do that?" Pacia countered, her taunting smirk blending in well with the atmosphere around them. "This whole thing took place far from our territory, and even if it was closeby, we _chase_, not _hurt_, and certainly not _kill_."

"You wanted to make it look like I did it! It was you guys the whole time, with the Fuzzer and the hatchlings! It was all YOU!" Chomper defended with all his might. "I bet it's because I bit you, huh?" He was looking right at Cepher, angry tears starting to well up again. "You don't like me because I bit you and now you're trying to get rid of me! I know it!"

"Those are heavy accusations over petty things." Cepher retorted with a growl. "I don't care that you bit me; I've been bitten by sharpteeth who can swat Buzzers bigger than you, kid. So unless you have proof, you have nothing to argue against."

"I do have proof! The Fuzzer still had your scent on it; the clearing you live in, I smelled blood in there, lots of it! Even this hatchling will have your smell on it!" Chomper exclaimed right back, not backing down from this critical debate. But that debate would end sooner than he would've like as Cepher made a final point with malevolent calm, not even skipping a beat.

"Of course that hatchling there would have our scent; we've been in contact with it when we caught you. As for your other claims, no one here has ever smelled any of the scents you're pointing out. Apparently, only you're picking it up so either your sniffer is broken, or you're just lying to save your own skin."

Silence as Chomper's heart fell. He had forgotten that his sharptooth nose was stronger than the Leaf Eaters; they couldn't smell what he could smell. Even the highly trained Spike would have difficulties picking up the scents Chomper could so easily identify. With a mountain of evidence against him, and nothing to support him, he took another approach.

"You guys have to believe me," Chomper muttered, looking to his friends and the few adults that had supported him. "I didn't do it… I admit, I don't really know why they're trying to get rid of me, but you have to believe me, please!"

Even more silence fell, except for the sniffles coming from Chomper and the rest of the gang, who couldn't do anything in defense. Even Littlefoot wasn't so sure anymore; he wanted so much to believe what Chomper was saying, but looking at that poor baby Swimmer who so tragically lost her own life before it really began…he just couldn't. The evidence was just too great.

Finally, after a long moment, Mr. Threehorn spoke up. "I'll be the first to say that I've never been too fond of having you here, Chomper. But like everyone else, I tolerated you as you've shown yourself to be different from the other sharpteeth we've all come across. We all trusted you, Chomper." Glancing down at his daughters, noting the tears on their faces, he found it a bit hard to finish, but pushed through regardless. "But you've betrayed that trust, and worse, you choose to lie to us all instead of telling the truth. You've been a decent sharptooth up to this point and you're still a child yourself, and taking those into account, I say your punishment be minimized…"

This got a very tiny sliver of hope through the dense fog of despair inside Chomper, but even that was crushed with the next sentence.

"Chomper, you're exiled from the Great Valley for the rest of your days."

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Chomper! I think I might be close to crying... This is probably the most emotional chapter in the story, in my opinion. I'd like to hear your opinions as well, my faithful readers, so please review if you can!

Huh, this chapter's a bit longer than usual, but I've been planning this part ever since I first conceived this story. I feel awful for doing this to Chomper, but this story isn't over yet! So stick around as the next chapter will be up next week! Yes, I've finished the chapter and I can just hope my computer doesn't give me trouble so I can keep my promise. :)


	10. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I don't own the Land Before Time franchise or any of its characters.

Special Thanks to the following people for reviewing:  
MissBliss- Those puppy dog eyes, just filling with tears...Chomper needs the biggest hug ever! I'm glad you expressed the same emotion as myself, as it really assures me that I portrayed said emotions well.  
blitzer99- Whoa...You're a very passionate reader! XD I love how you started so violent, then perked up with a 'yay update!', and then went back to anger! It made reading your review fun! :D  
Bowser Jr. Nutt- I think it's sad when this story has been put on hold so long that I'm back to being surprised by such long reviews! XD As always, I'm very glad to see the things that you liked in the story, and I was especially glad to hear your sympathies are shifting to Chomper. Firstly, that means I'm doing his character right and I'm always paranoid in depicting a character with set-in-canon personalities. XD Secondly, it means I'm doing the Domeheads right as well, as sadistic cruelty is one of the traits they've always had throughout this story, even at their most sympathetic, and it truly shows itself to the reader in the last chapter. In regards to the court-scene reactions amongst the crowd and the friends, I can best describe it as the shock of the situation starting to settle in. And in regards to your two complaints: 1) Oh, I think a lot of Leaf Eaters hate the Domeheads with a passion (or at the very least, they're highly irritated with them), especially Mr. Threehorn! XD But I think that when it comes down to Domeheads that treat others like crap, but never actually harmed someone (to their knowledge anyway), whom also was bringing up reasonable arguments, and a sharptooth that, as far as they know, has just commited unspeakable crimes, they'll side with the Domeheads. 2) I understand your confusion on that part, so lemme try to help ease it. That laughing part was not of the light-hearted, 'oh-that's-so-ridiculously-hilarious!' sort, but more of the angry, hostile 'do-you-really-think-we're-that-stupid?' kinda laugh, which I thought would be a good reaction to Chomper saying something so unexpected and out of the ordinary. Anyway, I highly recommend that 'write-it-all-out-before-submitting-it' tactic in regards to your story; it seems to be working well for me. Although it might take a while to see that story, I'll be more than willing to wait patiently just as you have for me! *hugs* And I still thank you for helping me out with this chapter! Although you too had a hard time deciding, the points you gave certainly helped shed some light on my final decision, especially on the impact it'll have on the future tone of the story. You saved me a lot of sleepless nights. No really, the issue was so bothersome to me that it was keeping me awake at night! XD  
SuperMarioKyle- The grown ups better feel stupid **IF** they ever find out the truth! Putting Chomper through this... I'm glad your liking my interpretation of Spike and Guido! I've read both of your LBT fanfics, especially Pterano's Redemption, cuz it has Sierra in it :D ! Lol! And you're not the only one who hate the Domeheads!  
Lanny-Sama- It's probably the saddest scene in the entire story, and I still feel bad for doing it to Chomper. But at least you're liking the weekly updates! I hope you enjoy this newest chappy!

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Chapter 9

_'Chomper, you're exiled from the Great Valley for the rest of your days.'_

Those words had hit him like a giant boulder crashing from some mountain side onto his tiny body. Chomper couldn't believe what was happening to him. He knew that eventually, he'll have to leave the Valley, but he never thought it would be like this. He wanted the separation to be under his own will and with loving goodbyes and tearful promises of happy reunions. Well, he got the tearful part, at least. Standing by one of the Valley's exits into the Mysterious Beyond, Chomper's soaking wet face looked back over his shoulder, where the crowd of Leaf Eaters stood a distance behind him.

They weren't chasing him off, but he wasn't going to be allowed to come back in. With a strong, sobbing shudder, he looked over at the Gang of Five, knowing this will be the last time he'll ever get to see them again. It was even more difficult than their last two goodbyes, where there was always going to be the chance of meeting again and those farewells were made on good terms. This time, there will be no chances and this was far from being on 'good terms'.

The gang at first stood where they were, before Littlefoot separated from them and wandered over to him, offering the little sharptooth a saddened smile and before Chomper knew it, the other members of the group came over as well: first Ducky and Spike, then Petrie, and last but not least was Cera, whom ignored her father's gruff warnings as she approached. Looking to each of them as he remembers all the fun they once had together, Chomper just about broke and he threw himself against Littlefoot, hugging the Longneck tightly. Eyes heavy in tears, Littlefoot lowered his head to Chomper in his own hug.

"I don't wanna go…" Chomper whimpered, burying his face into his very best friend.

"I know… I don't want you to go either, but…" Littlefoot choked a bit before finishing. "But the grown ups said you have to."

Almost reluctantly, Littlefoot backed from the hug to allow Ducky and Petrie to embrace their soon-to-be-lost friend, tears flowing like Fast Water down each of their eyes. Spike wandered over with a mournful whine before licking Chomper's cheek as if wiping away the younger child's tears, and the little sharptooth gave the Spiketail a tight hug on his muzzle. His tears were still flowing despite the comforting licks as he recalled their last one-on-one encounter involving Guido, knowing that it all proved pointless. Pulling away, Chomper looked over to Cera, who turned her head away. It wasn't that she didn't wanna look at him, he can tell. No, she just didn't want the others to see the wet droplets of salty water trickling down her cheeks. Not bothered by this, Chomper walked over to her and held his arms up.

Cera looked at him from the corner of her eyes, still fighting to hide those tears that insisted on traveling down her face despite her resistance. Even though she always knew it was him ever since he's been found with the Fuzzer, it still didn't erase the bond between them. And severing that attachment was too painful to truly do, no matter the circumstances. So eventually she gave up on the proud gesture altogether and reach out with a front paw, gently pulling the sharptooth closer so he can hug her. She usually didn't like hugs or such, but this was different and she was willing to throw away her need for space for this moment.

"When I grow up, I'm gonna show those Domeheads who's boss, just for you." Cera muttered with a soft smile, attempting to make him feel at least a little better, and it seemed to work a bit as it earned a half-choked giggle from her little pal as he pulled away. But no sooner had he done that that the others gathered round in a last group hug, with Chomper in the very middle of it.

Choking up a bit as he was held from all directions, Chomper smiled as best he could, reveling in the embrace before the others finally and unwillingly began pulling away from him. Feeling as though his heart has broken in two, he turned back towards the Mysterious Beyond, feeling a supportive hand on his shoulder. Looking up, he saw Ruby standing beside him, giving him as best an encouraging smile as she could.

Knowing that at least one of his friends was coming with him made it better, but also harder at the same time. It felt like he was tearing apart Ruby's friendship too. Yes, she had to watch over him and that meant going with him wherever he stayed, but that meant she had to leave too. Well, at least she can come back whenever she wants…

Taking a deep, shaky breath, Chomper took the first steps towards his banishment, trying his best not to look back as he felt he'll never be able to leave if he did. Just keep walking ahead…

"Bye, Chomper," Littlefoot muttered, his voice almost a whisper. "We'll always remember you..."

Hearing Littlefoot utter those final words and picking up the rest of the gang sniffling their agreement, Chomper couldn't take it any longer and took off running as fast as he could, eyes still stinging with tears.

"Chomper, wait!" Ruby cried out in surprise, taking off after him. He didn't want to wait and it didn't take too long at all before the two disappeared from sight, leaving their best and only friends behind…

**A Few Hours Later…**

It's morning now, with the sunrise beginning to peek through the mountain ridges. Sitting by a water hole, Chomper was alone for the time being. Ruby understood that he needed some space and time, so she kept her distance, staying close enough to keep an eye on him, but not so that it would bother him. The young sharptooth sighed as he poked his reflection with a claw, causing the image looking back at him to ripple. Why did he have to be a sharptooth when he tended to get along better with Leaf Eaters? If he was Leaf Eater, he was sure this whole thing would've never happened…

He _still_ couldn't believe what happened. It just didn't seem possible that what had happened was real. It all felt like it could be some sort of strange sleep-story and that he'll wake up soon; wake up and see that he's back in the Secret Caverns, ready to fill the day with fun and games. Wasn't it just yesterday that he was playing with the gang, so carefree of all his problems for the sake of scoring a goal and winning it for his team?

This could possibly be the worst day of his entire life.

Stupid Domeheads… Everything was absolutely perfect in his life before _they_ came along. And he _still_ wasn't sure _why_ they did this! It probably wouldn't be so bad if he knew! At first, he thought it was because he bit their leader, but they made it painfully clear during the meeting that that wasn't the case. Was it because he was a sharptooth and they just couldn't let it go? Or maybe…

His eyes narrowed a bit as he thought of something he hadn't considered yet. Those Domeheads had killed that Swimmer hatchling; they killed the Fuzzer; and he was certain they were also responsible for all the other deaths. What if, just what if those weren't the only killings they've committed? What if they've been doing this before reaching the Valley? And then, when they saw that he was around, they took advantage of it to shift the blame away from them? Suddenly, all the pieces were starting to come together and it made a great deal of sense to him. Why hadn't he thought of it before? He was probably too busy being terrified and desperate at the time…

But one thing still didn't make sense: _Why_ would those Domeheads _want_ to kill Leaf Eaters when they themselves were Leaf Eaters? He didn't have to think too hard on that one; those Domeheads had made one thing perfectly clear during their stay and that was how much they **hated** other types of dinosaurs. Did they hate everyone so much that they would kill them on any possible opportunity? He wouldn't put it passed them…

His thoughts were abruptly cut off by a distant roar and he immediately remembered that he wasn't in the comforting safety of the Great Valley anymore. He had to keep his wits about him every second now, and too much time thinking too deeply could cost the child his life. Standing up, he turned to look at Ruby, who was coming towards him quickly.

"We should find my family so being alone won't be so lonely anymore." she told him and Chomper gave a nod, following the Fast Runner as she led him in search of her family. Frequently glancing at the Great Wall separating him from his previous home, he sighed and looked down at his feet.

"Ruby..." Hearing his depressed tone, the Fast Runner's face grew with sympathy as her charge looked up at her. "Sorry for making you come with me out here." Realizing that Chomper was blaming himself for separating her from the others, she placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, smiling softly.

"You didn't make me come. I'm supposed to be watching you and I can't watch you if I don't have my eye on you." Seeing the younger child had much more troubling things on his mind, she could decipher what some of those things might be and she continued. "I can visit the others anytime I want to visit them, so you shouldn't feel bad for me."

"But why aren't you scared of me? Or mad at me? Everyone else is." he asked. He remembered the grown up's hostility at the meeting, and how overly-cautious they were when Chomper was taken to the very edges of the Valley. He knew that although his friends had put their own wary feelings aside to say their final goodbyes to him and to make those goodbyes as pleasant as they can given the circumstances, the hidden feelings of unease were nonetheless still there. He didn't really understand why Ruby never showed the same uneasiness even being near him. In fact, she gave a small chuckle at his confusion.

"You're a sharptooth, as you always were since I met you. I knew what I was getting into when I got into it, and I knew this day would come." Although she'll admit to herself that, like Chomper, she never thought it would happen so soon and under these circumstances. But it happened nonetheless and she saw no reason to be surprised by it. It did seem a bit strange how it started right out of the blue, but she knew from experience that sharpteeth were unpredictable, and Chomper wouldn't be any different.

"But I didn't do it!" the young carnivore insisted, starting to grow a bit tired of having to repeat that one line. "It was those Domeheads, not me! Why won't anyone believe me?" Tears were starting to well up again, but he held them back with more success, crossing his arms as they continued their travel. There was silence for a long time as Ruby watched her little companion, amazed that Chomper was still defending himself when it was already all over. Finally, after what felt like hours, she nodded.

"Okay, Chomper. You didn't do it." she said, not really sure if she meant it. She just wanted him to calm down and feel better. Knowing it's wise to move on to a different subject, she continued. "We'll find my family so we can take you back to your family too. I'm sure your parents will be glad to see you again."

She only got a silent nod in response.

**Back In The** **Valley...**

"Aw, poor little hatchlings." Cepher muttered mockingly as they browsed amongst some tree stars while watching the Gang of Five nearby. It didn't take an expert to know that the kids were feeling more than a little down this morning, no doubt still feeling the pain of losing two members of their stupid mixed-species group. Did they really think that sharptooth was going to stay forever? Were they really so unprepared for this moment? Shaking his head, he turned back to his companions as Pacia paused her breakfast to gently rub her snout.

"Sharpteeth hatchlings are not worth it..." she muttered mainly to herself, wincing. Noticing an opportunity to gain extra good favor from her, Rus wasted no time wandering to her and began to tenderly lick her injuries. Pacia did nothing to shoo him away, finding the tending soothing to the pain she was still in. Cepher also did nothing to intervene, instead nodding in agreement to Pacia's mutter.

"Exactly why we usually tend to avoid them, even when they're alone. They're not nearly as defenseless as the Leaf Eater hatchlings." he told them. He recalled a few times in the Mysterious Beyond when they were tempted to attack and eat the occasional wandering baby sharpteeth that came across their path. Unfortunately, they never even bothered to try as sharptooth parents tend to be much more protective of their offspring, and Cepher has witnessed before how much young sharpteeth will fight back when needed. Looking at Pacia's wounds, he was reminded that even 'friendly' carnivores were no exception to the rule.

"Hey, Cepher," Rus started, a thought occurring in his head as he paused his small act of charity. "Now that that hatchling's gone, what're we going to do next?"

It's a thought Cepher himself has put much contemplation into since his plan first sprouted; after all, it would only have been a matter of time before their little scapegoat was forced to leave. Luckily, he found it wasn't as difficult a question to answer as he first assumed, especially after they've discovered that oh-so-harmless little opening in the Secret Caverns. As if to add to their luck, the other Leaf Eaters has foolishly forgotten about it in their harsh targeting of the young sharptooth.

"We'll wait for a few days, allow everyone to feel like they accomplished something in banishing the sharptooth. Then, afterwards, we'll keep doing what we've always been doing. If anyone begins to suspect us, we can merely point out the crevice deep within the caverns." he informed them. The duo glanced at each other before Pacia piped up in her usual nitpicking fashion.

"And if they block it?" After all, that would be an inevitable course of action that the other Valley residents will take, so it seemed to her that that would only be a temporary solution. But it would also seem her worries weren't necessary as Cepher chuckled, unfazed by her point.

"There's always more than one way to sneak into the Valley. We'll simply find another opening."

"Or make one ourselves..." Rus muttered, understanding, a smirk growing on his own snout.

"Exactly," Cepher purred in pure confidence as he leaned back against a tree with arms crossed, glaring in the direction of the sulking children who couldn't even bring themselves to play any of their pathetic little games. "So relax your concerns and focus on making yourselves comfortable, because we'll be staying here for a very long time..."

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Just a chapter dedicated to Chomper's goodbye. There's actually two scenes I was debating on using and Bowser Jr. Nutt helped me with it. However, I'm willing to be fair to my readers and if asked, I'll send you that alternate scene, just as a 'Bonus Feature' treat! XD Anyway, this chapter was originally much longer (over 6,000 words) but I decided to shorten it! I just felt the extra scene would do better attached to the next chapter (since both contained one of my favorite characters... but perhaps I've said too much *puffs a pipe in an evil, yet civilized fashion; any who gets this reference earns a glomp! Here's a hint: it involves raptors and the name Mr. Pilkington*). So next week, expect a longer chapter, almost solely from Chomper's POV! :)

Also, why is this site not letting me underline my scene-breaker-things? It's really starting to annoy me... And ya know what else annoys me: Ruby! Stop speaking the way you do; you're always so difficult for me to write! XD


	11. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I don't own the Land Before Time franchise or any of its characters.

50 friggin' reviews! Whooooo! When I do the comparison of number of chapters to reviews, this is one of my most successful stories to date! I'm so glad we've reached this far and I have all of you to thank, so...

Special Thanks to the Following People for Reviewing So Loyally *hugs*:  
hiphoplover1211- Thank you! I'll try my best to keep it all up!  
Blackwolf6249- Lol! A loophole? We'll see! ;D  
MissBliss-Yes! I got Ruby right! *dances a nerdy lil jig!* I'm glad for the constant updates too, cuz it's making you happy!  
CausticHazard- It's finished! It's all finished! Squee! The crevice excuse won't be too much trouble for the Domeheads. They don't really care too much about Chomper to keep blaming him after he's gone; he was just a temporary tool that's useless now. They're will to go with any ol' sharptooth using that crevice as an excuse. But yes, will it only be a matter of time before something goes wrong for them? You gotta read more to find out! :D  
Lammy-Sama- Thank you for the kudos! I'm glad you be lovin' the plotz!  
Bowser Jr. Nutt- You are in suspence cuz I said so! XD Chomper is pretty clever, but I think it makes it more realistic that he wouldn't find out every detail of the crimes. And whoa! O.o No criticism? I guess every story has to have a perfect chapter, so thanks!  
Blitzer99- *hugs ya* Awwww, it's okay! I can't tell you if it'll be a happy ending or not, but it might make ya feel better to know that I love it when the main character(s) win! Wait, both Chomper and the Domeheads are the main character(s), so I guess that doesn't help! Lol!

Anyways, I'm submitting this chapter early because today has just been an awesome day so far: I'm off work and feeling refreshed, a new comic for my collection is out, and... I FINALLY FINISHED WRITING OUT THIS ENTIRE STORY! Now, it's gonna be even harder for me to wait, so you can _probably_, MAYBE expect ealier updates! Squee!

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Chapter 10

Taking a nap in the Mysterious Beyond wasn't as easy as he remembered it to be. Then again, before he came to the Valley, the vast majority of his life was spent with his protective parents on a secluded island that held practically no other sharpteeth that were large enough to threaten him. It was hardly a place to feel wary about. Having found some shade under a small clump of trees, Chomper and Ruby lay curled up side by side, attempting to sleep away the heat of the day as the Bright Circle blazed down upon the earth below. Despite the serenity of the scene, with colorful Flutter Flyers contentedly visiting the flowers nearby, everything was risky business and every once in a while, one of resting children would wake up and glance around to make sure they were safe for the time being. Didn't help that the slightest sound was enough to stir them.

Especially when said sound was of rustling vegetation.

Not failing to notice that, Chomper opened his eyes with a jolt and a startled cry, looking around in a paranoid fashion as his eyes settled on a nearby cluster of tall shrubs. The noise and slight rustling stopped as soon as he focused on them and Chomper attempted to sniff the air to little avail. Giving up on that, he stared harder at the shrubs, not really noticing anything particularly strange about them. But something still felt off, though that was probably his paranoia getting the best of him. That seemed to be the case since after a few moments of tense waiting, nothing else seemed to happen and he was about to dismiss it as being the wind when he finally realized why this whole thing felt wrong: There was no wind to rustle those shrubs in the first place.

"Ruby! Wake up!" he exclaimed in panic and the Fast Runner startled awake, expression still groggy as she looked about for the source of the alarm. And said alarm was not a second too soon. For the instant it knew that it's been given away, a large green Fast Biter leapt from its camouflaging cover and lunged for them with a shriek. With a responding scream of terror, the two children took off, the predator landing where they once were before giving chase with a loud and a very irritated-sounding growl.

Knowing Fast Biters tended to hunt in groups most of the time, Chomper glanced about for any sign of a trap from other members of the pack, but mercy was smiling down at them and they found themselves incredibly lucky in that department; it seems this one was working alone. Good, as if they needed to add to their fear. Going as fast as he could, Chomper felt as though he was running low on energy, as if he used it all trying to escape those Domeheads earlier. Didn't matter, he had to keep going, but…

"Ruby! I'm slowing you down! Go on ahead!" Chomper managed to shout through his labored breaths, knowing the Fast Runner was purposely staying by his side even now. He didn't want her to get caught, not when she had such a natural advantage in speed. But his friend was not going to abandon her charge so easily and although she said nothing, Chomper could see it on her face: she was never going to leave him behind, no matter what.

Feeling a snap at their tails, the two children sped up all the more, the young sharptooth putting everything he had into his exhausted legs. He can't keep this up; so tired… so much running, so much terror, in such a short amount of time. He didn't know if he could take it… And in his moment of uncertainty, he took a fateful trip on a tree root and fell forward with a cry, feeling as though everything was going in slow-motion as he felt the impact of the hard and unforgiving ground beneath him. He practically felt Ruby stop a few paces in front of him and he tensed as he anticipated being snatched up and shaken until he was lifeless.

But to his true horror, the Fast Biter completely ignored him as it stepped clear over his fallen body and went straight for Ruby, the Fast Runner hesitating for just a split-second as she tried to figure out what to do. Unfortunately, even that incredibly short amount of time was long enough and the sharptooth pinned her screaming form down under a foot, about to sink its teeth into her neck when…

"NO!"

Chomper felt his body become overtaken with familiar protective instincts and he scrambled to his feet to dash over and bite into the other sharptooth's tail, a move he's done on several occasions before as it was always the best way for him to attack without too much risk. He heard the other predator screech in pain and to his relief, it released Ruby. Before the Fast Biter could think of retaliating against him, Chomper let go and hurried over to the frozen Ruby's side protectively, glaring up at the larger dinosaur, whom he finally recognized as:

"Leave her alone, Thud!" he hissed in the sharptooth tongue, breathing heavily in combination of fatigue, rage, and fear. He had a rather complex history with this sharptooth, and he wasn't too sure how the carnivorous creature before them was going to react with his interference. Regardless of how it goes, Chomper was ready. Thud glared at him with an intense growl before looking back at his tail, his growl softening just a tiny bit after seeing that the marks left were minor in nature. Looking back at Chomper, he growled out his response, voice low in a warning tone.

"Step aside, little biter. I'm not after _you_."

"No!" Chomper shouted defiantly, not giving an inch from his position. He was so sick and tired of being pushed around and taken advantage of by everyone who was bigger than him! Just because he was young and small and different, doesn't mean he wasn't worthy of being treated as an equal among both Leaf Eaters and sharpteeth! No more will he allow others to put him down and get away with it! He's gonna make it clear that he's NOT taking any abuse lying down anymore! "If you want her, you'll have to go through me!"

This got a bit of a pause as Thud looked him over, obviously not taking him seriously despite how utterly enraged Chomper looked. The silence was to be short lived however when the larger sharptooth chuckled in an amusement that made Chomper feel even angrier.

"Very well." The Fast Biter replied, expecting the hatchling to fully back down when he leaned forward to snap at him. But he got the opposite of what he was expecting when the hatchling jumped back to avoid the nip and lunged forward to bite his nose. Jerking back in more surprise than pain, Thud regarded Chomper with a bit of confusion before snarling and knocking the tiny creature over, pinning him down under a foot with his killing claw ready to disembowel. Even then, the little biter struggled and clawed with everything he had and Thud had to fight the reflex to pull away. Instead, he pressed down even harder and it forced the furious child still. With tears flowing down his cheeks once again, Chomper glared at his adversary before closing his eyes, awaiting his end with dignity.

Thud blinked a bit as he tilted his head, not failing to notice a change in the little critter before him. Yes, the hatchling always had a bit of fight in him, but not really to this extreme. And all this, for one little Fast Runner? It was…rather interesting actually. There was more to this, and Thud was gonna make it his business to find out what. He glanced at his intended prey, seeing that she was still where he left her, watching her companion in horror, and he returned his attention to his hapless victim. "Why sacrifice yourself for this potential piece of food?"

Chomper opened his eyes, a bit surprised by the question, but still determined in his cause nonetheless. "She's my friend, just like Ducky was."

Yes, Thud remembered that day when Chomper told him that the Swimmer hatchling was his friend. However, whereas he cracked up in response last time, he didn't find this nearly as amusing. He respected the little biter a great deal since then, after he saved his life on that ledge. Chomper could've left him to die, taken the opportunity to rid an enemy that has previously tried to kill him. But he didn't. And although Thud had already repaid the act of kindness with a show of mercy and thus owed him nothing, the Fast Biter was still reluctant to harm Chomper under his own will. Only in the presence of Screech and Redclaw, whom especially wanted the little sharptooth dead, will Thud threaten the child and only because he had little choice.

But at this moment in time, he was alone in his hunt and seeing Chomper so willing to put his life on the line like this, it bewildered and...troubled him…

Chomper seemed to pick up on this and he choked a bit on his words as he felt his blinding rage beginning to melt away to be replaced once more with sadness and desperation, sniffling constantly on his tears. "I have to save her. She's the only friend I have left…"

Slowly, Thud removed his foot from Chomper's body, looking at the young sharptooth in curiosity and even a tiny bit of concern, though he hid the latter pretty well beneath his current confused expression. "And where's the rest of your little Leaf Eater pals?"

"Back in the Valley…" Chomper told him, seeing no point in hiding anything as he slowly began getting back to his feet, not bothering to dust himself off as he continued. "The grown ups kicked me out, for something I didn't even do." Wanting to take the chance in the hope of having someone who might believe him for once, he kept going. "There's a group of Domeheads in there. They've been killing hatchlings and everyone think it's me! And they won't even believe me when I tell them that the Domeheads did it, because they framed me. They made it look like I killed a baby Swimmer and now, I'm out here…"

Looking down at his hands and falling into a sit, he remembered it all clear as day, and although he had already washed the blood off of himself, he still felt like he was covered in it for all the world to see. In fact, he could still taste that poor Swimmer's blood in his mouth and he tried to hold back a gag at even the thought of it. But he couldn't hold back his whimpers any longer, and he almost began sobbing all over again.

Feeling an uncomfortable amount of pity, of which he made efforts to hide, Thud looked about to make sure nobody other than these two were witnessing him care about this subject matter. He knew that if Redclaw caught him here, he could say goodbye to his hide forever. But luckily, his companions were nowhere to be seen and he returned his attention to the little biter crying in front of him. He rarely ever displayed empathy for anyone except his brother, but he could make an exception here as he tried to put himself in the little biter's claws. What would he do if a bunch of Leaf Eaters framed him? Well that's easy…

"Listen, little biter. You're a sharptooth and sharpteeth have to defend their honor. I know you're used to acting like a Leaf Eater, for reasons beyond me, but you need to start embracing your true nature." He growled firmly, intent on driving this lesson in the youngster's head. "If a bunch of Domeheads are taking advantage of you, then fight back. Don't back down sulking in a crying heap like you are right now."

Chomper paused, tensing instinctively as Thud rather roughly nudged him to his feet with his snout. He was amazed that the Fast Biter was even helping him, but considering their past, he supposed he shouldn't be too surprised. Gaining balance, he looked up at the adult sharptooth as said grown up continued his lecture.

"I can't really tell you what to do, little biter, but if I were you and I cared what a bunch of walking snacks thought about me, I'd go back into that Valley and set things straight. They might attack me for showing my face again, but I'd rather be _dead_ than let some random group of Leaf Eaters tarnish _my_ reputation."

The young sharptooth appeared to be in a type of strange awe of those words, and he opened his mouth to speak before looking uncertain. He knew that Thud was right, that he should go back and really fight for what's right. And besides, if he leaves the Valley forever and just goes back to his parents, he's allowing those Domeheads to kill even more. After all, if they really were killing hatchlings out here in the Mysterious Beyond, then what's to really stop them from doing so in the Valley? What's to stop them from hurting his friends, if they so desired? He couldn't let that happen, but how could he even be sure if…

"Thud, have you heard of Leaf Eaters killing other Leaf Eaters? For any reason really?" he had to ask. Thud looked about the same age as those Domeheads, AND he lived his entire life out here. Perhaps he had some information on this case that Chomper could add to his conclusions. And Thud didn't disappoint.

"A long time ago, when the lands were barren, I've heard stories of some Leaf Eaters killing others. Before you were hatched, everyone kept to their own kind and refused contact with others, and some took this to an extreme." The Fast Biter grunted, exhaling sharply through his sniffer. "But I always thought those were rumors, and even if it's real, I doubt that those type dinosaurs still exist in this time of plenty."

"Oh." Chomper replied, thinking some more to himself.

What if those types of dinosaurs still existed regardless of what the Fast Biter thought, and the Domeheads were one of them? Thud's answer already added a great deal of support to Chomper's previous thoughts and if he was right, it could prove a valuable piece of information to provide the grown ups should he return to the Valley. But when should he make his come-back? When he was older and more able to defend himself? The Domeheads would've killed lots of hatchlings before then and what about his friends? They were in danger! But really, what can he do if things don't work out…? Finally, he shook his head with a sigh.

"What if nothing goes right? What if I go in there and they try to trample me? I'm too small to do anything of value…" He rarely ever admitted his size issue and when he did, it usually dampened his resolve. Luckily, Thud wasn't going to take that from one of the very few dinosaurs that he actually genuinely respected. He wasn't about to waste that respect on a weak-willed and cowardly creature.

"You're a resourceful hatchling. Take advantage of it." He told him and Chomper smiled a bit, knowing that what he lacked in size, he more than made up for it in courage, loyalty, and determination. Feeling his confidence boosted, he nodded a 'thank you' to Thud, who returned the gesture before leaning passed Chomper in a half-hearted attempt to grab Ruby again. Instantly, Chomper took Thud's advice in embracing his sharptooth nature and growled, lunging a bit to bite Thud's nose again.

Jerking back before the young hatchling could nab him, Thud gave Chomper an approving smirk of amusement before turning away and heading off for an 'easier' hunt. The young sharptooth stood where he was, firmly planted in front of Ruby, and allowed a smile to grace his snout again. The adult sharptooth was right about everything; he had to go back and save his friends, save those innocent hatchlings! All he needed was a plan!

And once he thinks of it, he'll use every resource he has available to pull it all off...

_**A Few Days Later...**_

This is it; after working for several risings of the Bright Circle, Chomper has finally thought up of a plan that just might work. It was a very difficult process, and practically every point he came up with was incredibly risky, and possibly a bit childish in its simplicity. But it was the best he had and he'll just have to put faith into it. He just needed to work out some of the holes as best as he could, and then wait for the perfect opportunity to put it into action. He hoped he wasn't too late in saving the life of a possible hatchling…

At least they've found Ruby's family the night after Thud's attack, having traveled to Hanging Rock on the chance that they might come across them. Luck seemed to be following them when they found their efforts had not been in vain. Having settled in at the family's nest, Chomper was told that they'll spend some time building their strength before going off for the long journey back to where his parents resided. Although Chomper agreed to this without a fight, he had no intention of leaving his friends so easily. Yes, he missed his parents sorely, and he always found that he frequently longed for his mother's warmth as he snuggled to her every night to sleep…

But his friends needed him, and he wasn't going to let them down, no matter what the grown ups said…

He hadn't told Ruby about his plans, as she might try to stop him, tell him to just let things go and move on. After Thud left, she had questioned him about the conversation that she in no way understood. Not wanting to lie to her, but leaving out some details regardless, he paraphrased the basic message; that Thud had told him to be a sharptooth and to suck it up. That answer seemed to have satisfied the Fast Runner and he was glad she didn't try to delve deeper.

Looking over to the family, he felt his heart glow with warmth and fuzz as he watched Ruby happily playing with her younger siblings. He knew Ruby had also been missing her family and was no doubt taking the separation harder than Chomper did. After all, he didn't have to worry about his parents getting eaten on a regular basis. Seeing the Fast Runners alive and filled with such love, and seeing Ruby happier than he's ever seen her, he knew he couldn't risk their safety in either including them into his plans or taking them through the unforgiving journey through various sharptooth territories just to bring him back home.

If his plan succeeded, everyone will be safe and happy, and that's really all he wanted more than anything.

As the Bright Circle began to set, Ruby's father turned to them with his usual warm smile. "Alright, young ones, it's nest time." Settling by his mate, he watched as his giggling children hurried over and laid by them, the youngest trying to squeeze her way between her parents. Looking over to Chomper, he saw the sharptooth very deep in his own world and he chuckled. "A Shiny Stone for your thoughts, Chomper?"

"Huh?" the youngster responded, obviously startled to hear his name. Seeing them ready for the night, he quickly dashed over, settling by Ruby. "Sorry."

"No apologies needed." The adult male told him in amusement and Ruby's mother gave the young sharptooth a tender smile.

"You okay, sweetie?" she asked, to which Chomper nodded in response.

"Yes, ma'am. Thank you." Curling up tightly, he buried his sniffer under his tail and closed his eyes. The two grown ups looked at each other in undisguised mirth before laying their heads down, their children following suit.

About an hour later, Chomper opened his eyes, feeling his patient waiting has reached an end. Looking over to the family, he saw them in a deep sleep. Perfect. Standing up, he went off as silently as he could to carry out the first step in his plan. It'll be difficult, as he'll have little to work with and one wrong move could spell his doom. He'll just have to make his timing perfect. At least he knew the desired scent like the back of his claw, with it being so terrifyingly engraved in his mind.

Sniffing the air, he sought out the scent and after untangling it from the others, he tried to follow it. This particular trail was faint and he had to physically work at it, but it was the best lead he had at the moment. He just hoped it'll lead him to the right place…

After what felt like several hours, he came across a large cave near a stretch of Fast Water and extremely cautiously, he peeked inside. There, looming like a giant mound of boulders, slept Redclaw. Trying to keep his breathing calm, he swept his gaze around the rest of the cave and found Screech and Thud sleeping side-by-side on the opposite corner from their larger associate. Well, at least his timing was perfect; he was worried they'd still be awake as he knew they sometimes chose to hunt in the cover of darkness.

Swallowing his fear as best he could, he tip-toed over to where the Fast Biters slept, pausing frequently to make sure the largest sharptooth won't stir. Finally, after several tense moments, Chomper came to Thud's side and gently tapped the other carnivore's arm.

"Pssst…Thud…Wake up…" he whispered as softly as he could, hoping his voice won't produce a Talk-Back in this immense cavern. He wasn't sure how the sharptooth would react upon waking, and he was about to find out as the predator stirred from his sleep. Opening his orange eyes drowsily, he glanced over in the direction of the tapping voice and saw the little biter standing beside him. What in the…? Raising and tilting his head, he narrowed his eyes in a glare, not particularly fond of this intrusion so late in the night. Chomper tensed up, anticipating a bite, but when it didn't come, he continued. "I need to talk to you."

Giving a soft growl, Thud looked over to his companions and saw they were still sleeping as he expected. He was always the light sleeper of the trio, whilst the others could probably sleep through all but the most violent of earthshakes. Sometimes he wondered exactly how much trouble he could get away with while they slept, but he never could bring himself to experiment. Screech and certainly Redclaw never appreciated interrupted sleep, no matter the reason. Yawning deeply, he carefully stood up before leaning over Chomper and taking the child's tail in his jaws, feeling the little biter tense in fear as he did so. But he was gentle as he carried the hatchling outside by the Fast Water and set him down.

"What do you want, little biter?" he asked with an edge of irritation. After all, Chomper should've known better than to come here; what if Redclaw spontaneously woke up from a sleep-story? What if the other two picked up his scent when morning came? All sorts of troubling questions were rising up in his mind, and he could only hope the youngster had a good reason for risking both their hides like this!

Chomper knew the other sharptooth wasn't pleased with him at all, and he couldn't blame him. But this was the only time he could risk sneaking off and finding the trio with the least amount of danger to himself. Surely the Fast Biter would understand. "I'm sorry, but I didn't want Redclaw and Screech to know I was out here." A sudden, terrifying thought came to him and he couldn't help but ask. "You didn't tell them about me, did you?"

To his immense relief, Thud shook his head and the hatchling sighed. That was good. He knew Redclaw would no doubt take advantage of the situation if he knew Chomper was out in the Mysterious Beyond, and who knows how much danger that'll put Ruby and her family in!

"You still didn't answer my question." Thud pointed out with an impatient growl, glancing back to the cave entrance to make sure he won't get caught.

"Right," Chomper replied with a glance of his own. Not wanting to waste any more time than necessary, he continued quickly. "I have a plan to get back to the Valley, but I need your help."

At this, Thud tilted his head with a short, confused rumbling noise. Yes, he expected the little biter to formulate a plan, hopefully before Redclaw got wise to his presence, but he didn't expect to be incorporated into it. What can he possibly do to help this issue? Well, he received his answer before he could verbally give his question.

"I've been thinking: what if the Domeheads are still blaming me for everything they're doing while I've been gone? They could be making me look even worse right now, and it'll be harder for me to be let back in!" He paused for a moment to frown at the thought before continuing. "So I need you to sneak inside and at least show everyone that I'm not the only sharptooth who could break into the Valley. You can pretend to attack someone, and then I can come in and ask you to go. Then, I'll be a hero and maybe the grown ups will accept me again, or will give me another chance to prove myself."

An urgent thought came into his head, one that could prove to be the most dangerous part of his plan. Far more dangerous than what the others might do to him if they saw him again. He'll just have to emphasize how incredibly important it was and hope the Fast Biter will follow through. "But I don't want you to hurt them though. Please, _please_ promise not to hurt anyone…" He gave the Fast Biter his best begging face, and he wasn't sure if it was working as the sharptooth seemed uncertain.

"You're asking me to do a very dangerous thing, little biter. Going in there alone is suicide. Why should I risk my tail like that?" he asked pointedly and Chomper looked discouraged.

"I risked my tail saving you on that ledge. For all I knew, you could've eaten me." he started. "And I don't think you'll get hurt; you and Screech always find a way inside and you're still okay."

"And you expect me to bring Screech this time around?" Thud growled in retort. "If he knew of this little arrangement, he might say something to Redclaw, and then I can say goodbye to life." Despite those words, he wasn't too sure _if_ his brother would do that to him. Although he was certain Screech's loyalty to him was stronger than that towards Redclaw, he still couldn't take the chance. If there's one thing living in the Mysterious Beyond has taught him, it's to be wary of everyone who had the potential to cause harm, even if it includes one's kin.

Silence fell between the two and Thud glanced over to the nearby Great Wall, considering the young one's plan more carefully. Going in there alone was incredibly dangerous and he'll have to use every advantage he had to come away unscathed if those Leaf Eater's chose to attack. Though the little biter did make a point; he risked his own life in setting him free of those rocks, and Thud could've easily taken advantage of the child's kindness. Perhaps he should exhibit the same amount of bravery and altruism… Still, at least the little biter got something in return; Thud didn't see anything that can benefit him in this situation and he didn't hesitate in pointing it out.

"If I do this for you, little biter, what will I get from it?" he asked and Chomper felt his hope rise again. But it didn't last long as he was at a dead end on how to answer it. What could he possibly offer in return? He had an idea, but it was something he didn't really want to have to give. But did he have much choice if it'll get Thud to go along with the plan? There had to be another way, but he knew there wasn't.

He muttered something incomprehensible and it was obviously made with great, reluctant effort. Thud hissed softly and lowered his head to Chomper's level in order to hear. The little hatchling saw this as an opportunity, as he didn't really want to have to say those words aloud, and he stepped closer to whisper something into the Fast Biter's ear. Hearing the words clearly now, the larger sharptooth stood back up to full height and cocked his head a bit, looking towards the Great Wall. Chomper fiddled a bit with his claws before adding something.

"And that's only if the plan works, so I can't be too sure about it…" He could only hope Thud would accept the offering, despite its uncertain nature. He felt horrible having to whisper the words he spoken, but it was the only thing he could think of that might satisfy the potentially valuable ally in front of him. Finally, after a long moment, Thud nodded.

"You got yourself a deal, little biter. Now let's find a way into that Valley of yours."

* * *

Long chapter is loooong! But I'm feeling so happy that I love it! *hugs everyone*

Yay for Thud's appearance! A good chunk of my LBT fanfics are about this Fast Biter, and one of my favorite prospects regarding him is his relationship with Chomper. Ever since the episode between them, I always saw Thud as having a kind of respect for Chomper, perhaps even a distant friendship. I'm utilizing that in this chapter! And wow, Chomper's quite a spitfire in that first encounter, but what can you really expect from a dinosaur that nearly lost everything... :(

Anyway, what exactly did Chomper promise Thud? Will this plan work or will it only backfire and make things worse? Chomper is a very trusting character, but has he put his trust in the wrong dinosaur? Find out in the next chappy (which I'm barely restraining myself from submitting now!)!


	12. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I don't own Land Before Time or any of its characters.

60 reviews? O.o Ten reviews for one chapter?! Epic! I really do love you guys!

Special Thanks to the following reviewers:  
Lanny-Sama- You'll be finding out very soon, especially since this stories only got a few more chappies left! Squeee!  
SuperMarioKyle- Ah, dude! I _wish_ I could bring Sierra into this story, but I have no idea how to incorporate him in and still have some kind of purpose. And that 'BE A MAN, CHOMPER!' line killed me with laughter! Thanks for that! XD And oh wow, he does seem a bit like Starscream! I never noticed that before! Great! Now everytime Thud talks, I'll be hearing Starscream's voice! You're evil, do you know that? :D  
Arkham18- Awwww, I wouldn't say it's perfect, but thank you so much for the compliment! *hugs*  
Blackwolf- What is it about that last chappy that made everyone love it so much? Well, I ain't complaining! I had tons of fun with Thud and I'm glad you enjoyed the complex relationship between the two sharpteeth!  
MissBliss- Mwahahahaha! You shall never find out! :D And Chomper hopes his plan will work for the better too!  
jjhatter- Yay, I'm not the only one who fantsized about cannibalistic Domeheads XD! And it's a good thing, cuz I said so! Oh! And next week is here! and yayz! Perfect 10's are perfect!  
blitzer99- *chuckles evilly* maybe you're right on one of them or maybe your completely off. I'm not telling yet! *zips mouth close* Though I did like the thoughts you put in your guesses!  
hiphoplover- The Thud and Chomper friendship(?) is one of my specialties and I'm glad you liked it in this story!  
Bowser Jr Nutt- Ooooo! Vacation! I hope you be having lots of *Mo voice* fuuuuuuuuun! Ooooo! Let's see if your idea is correct by the end of this story! And I was tempted to add the GOF's view somewhere, but couldn't really find a place. But really, this story's mainly focused on Chomper and the Domeheads' POV, with the occasional POV of someone they are/will be interacting with. I do hope you get home safely from wherever you are, and be sure to bring me a souvenir! XD  
CausticHazard- Here's the next chapter so you can find out! :D

* * *

Chapter 11

The Secret Caverns were depressingly empty, especially the two chambers that previously housed a young child each. It seemed that even the caves were mourning the loss of their previous residents as not even a tiny Crawler stirred from within. But such a silence would not last much longer, and after days of stillness, movement finally made itself known. An indiscreet crevice along the walls began to spit dust clouds and a large dinosaur squeezed inside, holding in a sneeze as the dust tickled the inside of its sniffer.

Thud shook himself off before glancing around, stepping aside as Chomper followed in after him, having a much easier time pushing through due to his much smaller size. After the youngster shook the dirt off himself, he also glanced about before moving forward, silently gesturing Thud to follow him as he led his new-found ally towards familiar chambers. It was incredibly difficult making it this far; the main entrances were especially under vigilance and the two had to sneak away unseen to find another, unknown way in. They probably would've missed this crevice altogether if it wasn't for the unpleasantly familiar scent of Domehead that was scraped into its walls. Seems they weren't the only ones to have found it, and the two sharpteeth took every precaution to make sure it was all clear.

Pausing just out of sight from the outside, the younger dinosaur turned to Thud. "Alright, you go and scare someone. I'll follow your trail so I can rescue them, and I'll help you too if you run into trouble." He frowned as he made one last emphasis. "_Don't hurt anyone_."

Thud grunted dismissively as he just wanted to get this dangerous act over with. He was beginning to have second thoughts on this, and he forcibly pushed that out of the way as he walked towards the cave entrance. Glancing around to ensure he wasn't in immediate danger, he cautiously descended to the ground and hurried towards the nearest clump of undergrowth. Staying silent and still, relying on his green coloration to provide perfect camouflage, he plotted his course so he would remain safely hidden until he found a target to terrorize.

Scanning the ground and sky for any look-outs, he dashed off into some trees, carefully moving without making so much as a rustle. Muscles tense and ready for anything, he continued undetected further and further from the Secret Caverns, moving from one clump of vegetation to another and running through the clearings swiftly whenever he came across them. Finally, he found his first potential victims, but as soon as he saw who and what they were, he quickly wrote them off.

It was a trio of Domeheads, quite possibly the Domeheads the little biter was talking about. Frowning, Thud took a small sample of air from the clearing and smelled blood. Just like Chomper described to him while they were searching for a way into the Valley… So these three were the cause of all this trouble; he felt the temptation to attack them, but he knew very well that that would be a lethal decision. He's hunted and killed their kind before, but never on his own. Without the back up of Screech or Redclaw, he wouldn't have much of a chance against even one of them, much less a trio. And so, reluctantly, Thud moved on for an easier target, creeping off silently so as not to wake them.

It wasn't easy finding someone. Several of the Leaf Eaters he came across would be able to fight back; and many of the smaller, more defenseless ones were always close by a protector. Keeping in a frustrated growl at his limitations as a lone Fast Biter, he kept up the search and finally found the ideal candidate. In fact, he did a double take upon seeing said candidate, and he wandered closer with confusion etched into his features. For right there in front of him, just below face-level, was a teal-colored Glider dangling from a branch much higher up by a vine tied to its ankle. And it was still asleep…

Confusion giving way to amusement, the Fast Biter couldn't help but chuckle at this comedic scene. He's seen Gliders like this only once or twice before far out in the Mysterious Beyond, and he knew that they make for easy targets once they get stranded on the ground. Yes, this one will do quite nicely. Although his predatory instincts insisted on taking advantage of the Glider's vulnerability, that wasn't what he's here for. With a snap of his jaws, he easily broke the vine in half and the prickly bundle fell to the ground with a soft _thump_.

The impact with the ground more than enough to wake him, Guido slowly opened his eyes to see the tree's canopy, the vine that previously held him…and a Fast Biter growling menacingly down at him. Comprehending this quickly, the little dinosaur's eyes snapped fully open and with a loud cry, he righted himself and ran off as fast as he could, hearing the sharptooth chase after him. He wasn't sure why it waited so long to launch an attack, but he wasn't going to question it as he made for a nearby tree. But it didn't go as he hoped when the sharptooth leapt in front of him and he had to skid to a halt to avoid colliding with it, still screaming in pure terror. Dashing off again, he felt the Fast Biter snap at his tail, missing purposely. In fact, it could easily catch him, why…?

_Oh great! He's playing with me!_ his thoughts flashed in his head and he took a deep breath. "Help! Somebody help me!"

Not for the first time in his life, Guido wished he was a Flyer, so he can just take off into the safety of the sky. But unfortunately, with no strong wind or trees to help him, he was utterly defenseless and it would only be a matter of time before the sharptooth got bored of the game and snatched him up! Why him? Why did it always have to be him? He was a nice guy, or at least he tries to be!

Catching sight of Littlefoot's nest, Guido ran for it, hoping the presence of two giant Longnecks would discourage the sharptooth. Whimpering loudly, he cried out once more to wake the family and to his great relief, the Fast Biter stopped in its tracks as the adult Longnecks began to stir. Hiding behind a groggy and startled Littlefoot, the shivering little dinosaur peeked out towards the predator.

"Help!" he exclaimed before going back to hiding.

As the two adult Longnecks began to stand up, Thud snarled as viciously as he could muster, trying his best not to show his intimidation in standing alone like this. Although he was out of tail range, he knew this was extremely dangerous and he was pushing his luck as far as he was willing to. But, luckily, just as the two adults were about to react in defense, a loud shout echoed through the air.

"Stop!"

And there he was, arriving just in time as the Fast Biter was beginning to believe that he'll have to start defending himself, tooth and claw. But that thankfully won't be needed as Chomper hurried onto the scene, much to the Leaf Eaters' surprise.

"Chomper?" Littlefoot exclaimed in a mixture of confusion, glee, and worry. The young sharptooth took his place between Thud and the Longnecks, trying to look brave and angry as he faced the much larger sharptooth. But fully aware that the herbivores won't be able to understand, his growling words held a different message than what his current protective demeanor gave off.

"Thanks, Thud. I really owe you one." He told him, inwardly glad that his plan might actually work. The Fast Biter hissed softly, not needing to pretend as he glared up at the Longnecks just in case they would attack him. Luckily, they didn't and he returned his attention to the little biter.

"Just try to keep your end of the bargain." He warned the smaller sharptooth, his tail swishing in aggravation. He wasn't particularly fond of this position, where only a hatchling stood between him and potential death, and he wanted to leave. Now. Chomper picked this up and stepped forward, keeping up his 'threatening' act with more clicks and snarls.

"I'll be sure to try my best. You can go now, before Redclaw and Screech wake up and see you gone."

Casting one last glance at the towering Leaf Eaters, Thud huffed through his nose before turning away. However, a thought occurred at the last moment and he looked back at the little biter. "I smelled the blood in the clearing you told me about. I wasn't sure if I believed you before then, but at least now I know for sure you weren't lying to me."

Hearing that he wasn't the only one to have picked up the scent, it took all of Chomper's power not to look over-joyed. Thud could hardly understand how important that statement was to the child as he began heading back towards the Secret Caverns, leaving the little biter to carry out the rest of the plans. So long as he got his reward within the next couple of days like Chomper promised, he won't share any of tonight's details with his companions, including the tiny little part on how to get into the Valley. But if there was nothing to show for this in the end, all bets are off…

Relaxing as Thud disappeared from sight, Grandpa and Grandma Longneck looked down at little Chomper as Littlefoot couldn't help but rush over to his friend, Guido riding safely on his back. "Chomper! You're here!" the young Longneck said happily as Chomper wasted no time in hugging the friend he was so sure that he'll never see again. But the reunion wasn't to be all joyous as Littlefoot seemed to realize something and looked up worriedly at his grandparents, who have been uncomfortably quiet for a long moment before finally some words were spoken.

"Yes, this _is_ quite a surprise." Grandpa did look relieved to see the young sharptooth unharmed after spending a few days out of the Valley, but at the same time, he took on a stern expression. "Chomper, you've been exiled from the Valley, and we meant it when we said you couldn't come back."

Knowing his fate was divided and knowing it was up to him now to shift it, he looked down at his feet as he held his claws behind his back, speaking softly. "I know. But I saw Thud coming into the Valley through the Secret Caverns and I just wanted to help. I thought he was going to hurt someone."

"Yeah," Guido said with a nod, trying to recover from that traumatic experience. "And that someone was almost me." Shuddering, the Glider forced himself to relax now that he was safe before asking with wary curiosity. "Hey, what'd ya say to him, anyway?"

"I told him to leave; that he wasn't wanted here and that it'll be a good idea to just go home." Chomper answered, feeling strange having to lie a bit, though he knew it was necessary. Looking up at Grandma and Grandpa, he continued in a beseeching manner. "I only wanted to help. I know you don't believe me about before, but this time, I can PROVE that I'm innocent. Just give me a chance, please…"

There was silence as both Grandpa and Grandma looked at each other in consideration. Chomper never felt more anxious as he waited beside his friends, hoping that they'll find it in their hearts to accept his plea. He was willing to do anything, to accept any condition, just for another chance to prove himself right. Finally, after some hushed mutterings between themselves, Grandpa once more spoke up.

"In light of what you've just done to protect the Valley, I do believe that we can give you that chance. But the others need to have a say in this as well. Grandma and I will talk to them in the morning and until we can reach some form of consensus as to whether you can stay or not, you'll be under a very strict watch. I know you'll understand as to why."

Chomper nodded, some of his fears and worries leaving him. His plan was working so far and although he was far from done, it was at least progress. Although the thought of facing the other Valley residents left an entirely new kind of anxiety within him…

_**Morning...**_

"What's _he_ doing back here?" Kosh hissed in undisguised fury as Chomper was being led into the Rock Circle, where every one of the adults has once more gathered. Feeling the tense and hostile atmosphere, Chomper felt his fear resurfacing and he tried not to look anyone in the eye as he moved quickly to his spot. Maybe this was a bad idea. What if they decide to punish him for coming back? What if…

Catching sight of a familiar trio glaring at him, he remembered that terrifying night and what they did to him. They had to be stopped and he was the only one who knew the truth. He couldn't back down when he's gone so far, all his efforts will be in vain if he did. And so, glaring back defiantly at the Domeheads, he held himself with dignity even as angry yells spread through the crowd, most everybody seemingly on the verge of rampaging at this turn of events.

"Everyone, calm down!" Grandpa called out, only to be ignored. The residents were really getting worked up and it was only when Mr. Threehorn impatiently stomped the ground that everyone fell silent. Nodding a 'thank you' to his old friend, the elder dinosaur cleared his throat. "I know you are all upset and confused as to why young Chomper has returned. Well, just last night, the Fast Biter known as Thud snuck into the Valley and tried to eat one of our own."

At this, the vast majority of the Leaf Eaters forgot their anger when it was replaced with fear. A Fast Biter broke in? _Thud_ broke in?! From where?! What if he came back?! What if he'll bring Redclaw next time?! Before any of them could properly respond, Grandma Longneck continued where her mate left off.

"Yes, and it was Chomper who saved us." She looked at the young sharptooth. "Why don't you tell everyone what happened."

"Well," Chomper started, feeling all eyes return to him and keeping himself from choking under the pressure. "I saw Thud wandering along the Great Wall, looking for a way in. I knew I couldn't just stand by, so I followed him and I saw him enter through an opening in the Secret Caverns."

"I remember that opening," Mrs. Maia started. "We were about to close it when we saw you with the Fuzzer."

This got mutters of agreement and Chomper felt mixed feelings regarding it. On one claw, it supported his story and gained him some credibility. On the other claw, it also brought back unwanted memories… Shaking his head to clear it, he continued.

"I knew he was going to hurt someone, so I went after him. I didn't care if I was going to get in trouble, I had to help! I heard Guido screaming and came just in time to convince Thud to leave before anyone got hurt."

This brought even more mutters as everyone began to discuss their feelings on the situation before Grandpa spoke up once again. "Chomper wants another chance to redeem himself in our eyes. He claims he can prove his innocence."

"We're waiting…" Rus piped up and Chomper could see a glint of malicious curiosity in their eyes. He knew they were mocking him and he can see clearly that they held high confidence that he would bring nothing new to the table. Well, he'll show them!

"Before he left, Thud told me that he had smelled the blood in your clearing, just like I did." He told the Domeheads in his own confidence. "And if you don't believe me, we can always bring him back to say so himself!"

This got surprised mutterings from the crowd and Cepher gave a snort, glaring at the little predator before hissing his own words. "Like a sharptooth can ever be trusted. You've shattered everyone's trust already, and you're a 'friendly' sharptooth. A _real_ sharptooth won't be any better."

Chomper resisted the urge to yell how he _was_ a real sharptooth, but he wasn't going to let himself be insulted into a rage. He was wiser now and knew a trap when he saw one; he certainly wasn't going to be tripped up as easily as before. Looking about, he saw most of the residents were beginning to nod in agreement with the Domehead and he knew he had to retort quickly. Luckily, the words flowed naturally.

"Thud won't have anything to lose or anything to gain in lying. Bring any sharptooth, and have them sniff for blood, and I guarantee that they'll lead right to your clearing!" he told them without so much as a stutter, feeling stronger than he was before. In fact… "I bet that even Spike could pick it up if he tries his very hardest!"

This newfound confidence was certainly having an effect. Although none of them would dare bring a hostile sharptooth in here willingly, they were still taken aback at how firm and steadfast Chomper seemed in his claims, as oppose to the desperate uncertainty he has shown last time. It genuinely felt like he was telling the truth and it was only their natural wariness that kept them from fully believing those words. However, Chomper wasn't done as he turned his attention to everyone.

"I was told that times were different before I hatched. That everyone kept to their own kind, right?" This got confused nods of agreement. "Well, I was also told that some even hated other dinosaurs, and we all know who that sounds like."

At once attention shifted to the Domeheads, all three of whom were growling under their breaths as they knew exactly where this was heading. How dare that insolent little hatchling even thought of bringing that up! But he was, and it took effort from the trio to keep from making the sharptooth nothing but a corpse; in fact, Rus was starting to stand up with murderous intentions when Cepher shoved him back down into a sit. Unable to do much else herself, Pacia leaned over to Cepher and whispered incredibly softly so only he could hear. "This is getting bad. What do we do?"

Their leader didn't respond, his glare towards Chomper never faltering even as he growled even louder. Unfazed by their obvious rage, Chomper continued, making no hesitation in sharing his newest theory.

"I was told there were rumors about those Leaf Eaters murdering others out of hate. What if those three," He pointed straight at the Domeheads. "are examples of those kinds of Leaf Eaters? And, coming here, they've been using _me_ to get away with it!"

"You're basing all this on absurd rumors!" Cepher hissed in retaliation, crossing his arms. "Yes, we hate the other herds, but we will _never_ go so far as to inflict physical harm on them. They're not worth our effort."

Although the others clearly looked uncertain as to whether they should feel insulted by that or not, they still kept out of the debate as Chomper made one last point.

"All rumors have to start from somewhere, so who's to say they didn't start from someone who saw you kill a poor little hatchling?" Chomper growled, not backing down when he was on such a roll. Unfortunately, Cepher wasn't backing down either.

"And who's to say they had anything to do with us in the first place?" he snarled back darkly. Silence overtook the Rock Circle as the two continued to glare heatedly at each other. Finally, Grandpa spoke up.

"This is certainly going to be a very difficult case. I do feel we've heard enough at this point in time and we will hold a second meeting later on to hear more and to share our final decision. Until then, we'll be discussing our thoughts regarding the points we've been given from both sides. Chomper," He turned to look at the young sharptooth, who turned to look back at him with hope in his eyes. "You will stay with Mr. Thicknose for the time being." The old Longneck then looked to the Domehead trio. "And you three should head off as well. We will inform all of you when to return for the next hearing."

"Whatever, ya useless old flathead." Standing, the trio leapt off their chosen ledge and wandered out of the Rock Circle back towards their clearing.

Mr. Thicknose stepped forward toward Chomper, looking weary from the whole thing, but smiling as warmly as he could, given the uncertain circumstance. "Come along, Chomper. It's still very early and I think it'll be a good time for rest." Grinning, Chomper nodded and he followed the old dinosaur out of the meeting place. He felt that everything went pretty well for him, although he'll admit, the Domeheads were quick on retaliation and he was worried they'll slip him up when their debate carried on into the next gathering.

But at least there was going to _be_ a next time…

_**Within A Certain Clearing….**_

"That sharptooth is getting a bit too clever." Pacia stated as they reached their main territory. It was clear the three were highly agitated by the whole thing and the two subordinates even felt a little threatened a few times during that argument. Luckily, their leader got them through it, but it was still very worrying.

"Indeed," Cepher responded, tail flicking irritably as he went over those earlier events in his head. "We simply cannot afford him winning his right back into the Valley, even if nobody suspects us."

"I say we just get rid of him once and for all." Rus stated through gritted teeth, his claws clenching as he just wanted to silence the young sharptooth forever. At least that way, they'll be safe to carry on with their secretive activities without his annoying and admittably dangerous interference. However, Cepher shook his head at the suggestion, no matter how appealing it was sounding at this particular moment.

"Killing the sharptooth now would only bring more trouble on our heads." He informed them sternly. "We have to be much more subtle than that."

"Then what do we do?" Pacia questioned, for once feeling quite a bit of insecurity about this whole thing. Nobody's ever been this close to discovering their part-time predatory nature and it honestly began to scare her a bit. Who knows what the others would do if the truth went out…

"For now, we wait." Cepher replied, glaring over in the direction of the Rock Circle. "Perhaps no action will be needed if they decide to re-banish the sharptooth. But it doesn't look like they'll be reaching an agreement anytime soon; so if they can't decide by nightfall or if they allow the sharptooth back in, whichever comes first, we'll take matters into our own claws."

"How?" Rus inquired. A dark look overcame their leader's face and it cheered them up a bit. After all, that look always meant he had something pleasant (to them, anyway) in mind.

"The sharptooth's gotten smarter, yes, but his fate's still hanging by such a thin, delicate little line. All we need do is snap it with a tactic that hasn't failed us yet."

Understanding, the two smaller Domeheads smirked with their own purrs, their confidence back in full swing as they patiently waited for whatever outcome may arise. Whichever way this day concludes, by the time tomorrow comes, it'll be _their_ victory.

* * *

Another long chapter, I honestly couldn't find a way to shorten it. But really, I have absolutely no problems in long chapters, especially since it's becoming common with me nowadays. Anyways, looks like Chomper's back in the Valley, but will he be able to stay? I'm still loving Thud and his relationship with Chomper, and now I took full advantage of it in this story! :D My life is complete!

Yeah, Chomper, you fight back against those Domeheads! It seems Chomper might be getting another chance on probation, but will it be spoiled before it even begins? Find out in the next chapter!


	13. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I do not own anything with the name of Land Before Time!

Special thanks to the following people for reviewing:  
Queen Ghidorah- Squeee, glad to hear from ya again! *hugs* I be missing you! I'm so glad your loving the intense-ness and my pacing! And it's always a treat to hear how you enjoy Thud, makes me feel all fuzzy inside!  
SuperMarioKyle- Stop it, or doing it on purpose now! XD Doesn't help that Beast Wars' Megatron's alternate form was a T-Rex! And lol! The grown-ups are always babies in this franchise! Xp Spike and cowbell! :3 And no worries, Cepher will probably take that as a compliment!  
Lanny-Sama- Nuuuu, don't smack Chomper! That's child abuse...or animal abuse...or animal-child abuse...XD  
hiphoplover1211- Chomper certainly learned his lesson, so he better be smart! He wouldn't stand much of a chance otherwise!  
Blackwolf- A mature Chomper! It's probably the way he's handling the situation that give off the vibe!  
Arkham- I love cliffhangers, they're so much fun to torture the audience with!  
MissBliss- Lol! That's okay! Ranting means you care! And you caring means that I did a good job with it!  
Bowser Jr. Nutt- No lesson learned, but at least you reviewed without incident this time! Yes, it's a bit difficult at first to use 'LBT language', but it gets a lot easier. Plus, I write almost all my stories from an animal's POV, so using terms like 'claw' instead of 'hand' comes naturally to me. I also have an entire LBT glossary to work with; if you want, I can send you a link! Anyway, really the only reason Chomper got a chance to begin with was because it was Grandma and Grandpa he was talking to. If it had been Mr. Threehorn or something, he NEVER would've gotten anywhere so easily! And why the Domeheads never really consider a retreat plan in case something goes wrong: arrogance. Even in this tough situation, they still think they can come away unscathed. Whether or not that'll be the case will be shown in due time! So enjoy!  
blitzer- Guido should be okay; it's not his first brush with death. If only he knew Thud was never gonna hurt him! And I still enjoy your hatred for the Domeheads, it's so much fun to read! And no worries, so long as I can read clearly, I have no problems with typos in reviews.

* * *

Chapter 12

"What is that hatchling doing?" Rus asked as he watched a young Spiketail wander by for what could be the third time. The first time was a distance away, so that the young male Domehead felt no need to bring it up. The second time, the hatchling was a bit closer and Rus felt a spike of suspicion, but ignored it. And now...

Cepher and Pacia stopped their afternoon feeding to wander over to their companion, looking over to see what he was talking about. Indeed, the little hatchling was wandering about aimlessly, sniffing heavily for something or another. The three Domeheads watched the child carefully, waiting to see if it would be foolish enough to come too close. They were ready to chase it off and needed just the slightest excuse to do it.

Spike saw that they were keeping an eye on him and he paused what he was doing to back up a bit nervously; his bulk (and full stomach) did not make him too fast a runner and he knew he would get caught if they charged at him. They wouldn't harm him, of course, but being pursued was an unpleasant experience that he'd rather avoid. But still, he had no intentions of backing out now! News of Chomper's reappearance has gotten around quickly and Spike had picked up some of the grown-ups talking about something Chomper had said, about using the young Spiketail to sniff for clues. Upon hearing that, Spike needed no further prompting and has been sniffing around intensely. It was difficult, as he mostly just smelled food; he was trying hard though, using everything the young sharptooth had taught him to find anything that might seem suspicious. He found nothing so far, and he decided to try a different location: the Domehead's clearing.

Unfortunately, the irate residents were still there and Spike knew he couldn't get too close. But he wasn't one to give up too easily, especially when it came to helping his friends! Chomper needed him. So he's been circling the clearing, trying to find clues while hoping the Domeheads would leave soon. It still wasn't getting anything, and slightly frustrated, Spike decided to take the risk in an attempt to get something incriminating. He slowly began inching closer to the clearing, keeping his nose to the ground whilst not making any eye contact with the Domeheads. Hopefully, they'll ignore him...

"He's sniffing for blood," Cepher whispered to the others, finally understanding why the hatchling was sticking around and sniffing so intently.

Yes, this was the Spiketail who's friends with the sharptooth and the little hatchling must be trying to help his friend by doing just as the sharptooth said. Knowing they couldn't allow the nosy little pest to find anything, the Domeheads jumped out from their clearing and lunged for the Spiketail. The youngster gave a frightened cry before turning tail and running. Cepher pulled ahead, easily catching up to the plump little potential morsel and grabbed his tail, yanking him back. The small hatchling could do nothing as Cepher closed his claws around his mouth, leaning close to hiss.

"Stay away from our clearing, you sorry excuse for a dinosaur. Next time, I _won't_ be so generous as to let you off with a warning." With that, he let go of the unharmed hatchling, roughly shoving him forward with his snout. He wanted so badly to kill the hatchling for trying to stick his nose into their business, but he knew that now wasn't the time to do it. No, he could only reprimand him as the Spiketail got the point and hurried off with a very frightened look on his face. Standing up to full height, Cepher watched the hatchling retreat, growling when the little one paused to look back at him before disappearing. Hardly relaxing, large Leaf Eater turned back to his companions, a hiss underlying his words. "It's things like this that makes me wish we can just kill that sharptooth."

The others nodded in agreement, annoyed that things were getting too serious. If they weren't here, who knows what that Spiketail could've found! At least by tonight, things can get back to normal with the little sharptooth gone forever. That was certainly something to look forward to. Heading back into their clearing, Cepher turned his attention to Pacia, his voice losing some of its irritation.

"Go on ahead to find that sharptooth and bring him back here when you're certain everyone else is asleep. Rus and I will guard the clearing in case that Spiketail gets stupid." he told her. She nodded, allowing a smirk to grow on her face as she headed out to begin scouting for where that sharptooth could possibly be...

_**Several Hours Later...**_

The Bright Circle was starting to sink below the Great Wall and still, there was no sign from the grown-ups that anyone has come to an agreement. Chomper was following Mr. Thicknose everywhere the old dinosaur went, intent on showing everyone that he was no trouble-maker. He hadn't been allowed to interact with any of the children, including his friends as Mr. Threehorn had insisted on 'protecting' them from Chomper for the time being. It hurt hearing him say that, but it made sense for the little sharptooth, and despite the lack of playmates, he still tried to keep his time busy by sniffing about for more clues under Mr. Thicknose's watchful eyes. And as the day drew to a close, the grown-up settled down comfortably, Chomper curled up right by him.

"Well, today's been quite busy. I must say, a youngster like you sure moves around a lot." The aging dinosaur said wearily and Chomper allowed a smile on his snout. Although he has still been sensing a great deal of unease from his care-taker and from anyone he happens to come across, he tried not to let that get to him. It's all natural and it'll fade away as soon as he's allowed back in the Valley; his confidence was really starting to peak and he couldn't wait for the fateful call back to the Rock Circle.

"Mr. Thicknose?" Chomper started, looking up at him. "Do you think I'll be let back in?"

"I don't know, Chomper." The old dinosaur replied truthfully. "You did bring up valid points, but I'm not sure if it'll be strong enough to sway the others. We need more definite proof into the matter, and a long-term investigation could be set into motion."

Chomper nodded, feeling a bit disheartened, but not too much. Who knows, maybe the other grown-ups will investigate and discover his innocence on their own! Then, he'll never have to worry about it again! Resting his head over his arms with a wishful smile on his face, he found himself very sleepy. Those unsettling nights in the Mysterious Beyond took some getting used to and it felt good being back within the Valley walls. Giving a yawn, he closed his eyes and fell asleep, his guardian feeling obliged to watch him until it grew dark. Certain the young one wasn't going anywhere during the night, he too fell asleep.

It wasn't too long at all before the surrounding vegetation gave a very brief rustle, and being hard-wired to respond, Chomper's head jolted up before he even woke completely. Opening his eyes, he scanned his surroundings, looking for stalking sharpteeth before remembering that he was safe in the Valley next to a grown-up. His body too sleepy to question more, he closed his eyes again just as Pacia emerged silently from the surrounding undergrowth, glancing around to make sure nobody was going to catch her. Slinking forward carefully, she moved up to the half-snoozing hatchling and swiftly grabbed hold of him.

Chomper's alertness came crashing back into him as his mind startled completely awake and he was about to voice his alarm when a familiar set of claws closed around his snout. Oh, no… Not this again! Struggling hard with furious growls, Chomper tried to call out to Mr. Thicknose, but his voice was frustratingly muffled and the old dinosaur remained unaware of his charge's plight. The young sharptooth thrashed about relentlessly, clawing in a frenzy without much remorse despite his mostly clear head. Thud was right; he had to embrace his sharptooth instincts, and if it meant hurting a hostile Leaf Eater to save himself, then he'll do it without feeling bad about it! But, alas, it was just no use as the female Domehead hissed in acknowledgement of her pain, but nonetheless carried him off back into the clearing. Feeling a sense of déjà vu as he was shoved into the ground and tied up with vines, he glared up to see the leader standing nearby, overseeing the kidnapping.

"Be sure to keep him quiet. We don't want him bringing in the whole Valley." He told them and Rus grinned as he tied a vine around the sharptooth's muzzle, tightening it unnecessarily and earning a pained and muffled cry from the little pest. Tossing him carelessly aside as if he were nothing but a useless rock, the duo looked over at Cepher for the next move. Their leader turned away from them as he spoke. "Keep an eye on him; I'm gonna go find him a little farewell present."

And with that, Cepher dashed off, leaving his companions behind and willing to take any hatchling he came across…

And it would seem said hatchling would take the form of a pink little Threehorn naively wandering about quite a ways from the clearing. Cepher spotted the boldly colored infant easily enough as he stopped in his tracks behind some trees, watching his prey intently as he slowly began inching his way forward. He was unable to keep a smirk from growing on his face as the hopelessly clueless child only wandered closer to his hiding place, babbling nonsense to herself. This will be an easy kill...

It never ceases to amaze Tricia how different the Valley looks at night. She was always a curious and adventurous hatchling, so when her family settled in for the night, she was rather reluctant to join them, still wanting to play despite the late hour. Regardless, she had cuddled against her older sister and dozed off rather quickly, her growing body's need for rest always outweighing her mind's need for adventure. But that soon changed when she woke up from a sleep-story to see a Buzzer has landed on her nose. Finding delight in this encounter, she chased after it when it flew off, eventually losing track of it and now spending her time exploring the darkened Valley.

She had no real notion of danger, and certainly couldn't comprehend her own mortality. Everything was either fun or scary or boring to her, the true meaning behind it all completely beyond her. So when she caught sight of the large Domehead through his hiding place, she beamed and began wandering towards him in the hopes of playing with someone that was actually awake. He certainly seemed eager to meet with her as he was now rushing right for her…

"Tricia! Where are you?!"

It was her older sister and she turned in response to the call, happily moving forward when a loud crash happened just inches from her and she fell forward with the force.

Missed! Well, it doesn't matter. The hatchling was stunned by the shock of the blow and it was enough for Cepher to react as he lashed out his claws with a snarl. Feeling contact with the little one, he grabbed her in an unrelenting grip and stood up, allowing a triumphant smirk to grow on his muzzle before sinking his teeth into the hatchling. The child screamed and he began tightening his jaws to silence her when-

"Tricia!" Cera screamed in horror as she arrived just in the nick of time to see her baby sister's dangerous situation. Within an instant, she felt a huge wave of protectiveness wash over her and despite the enemy being so much bigger than herself, she wasted little more time charging right into the Domehead's leg.

With a cry of startled pain, the larger dinosaur released the hatchling from both his claws and his teeth, and the little Threehorn fell to the ground with a soft _thud_. A soft squeak came from her mouth and she fluttered her eyes open, beginning to cry as the pain of the attack grew in intensity. But she had no time to begin sobbing as her older sibling hoisted her up onto her snout and took off running as fast as she could possibly go.

Unfortunately, Cepher was not about to let his target escape; he _especially_ couldn't allow a witness to escape either! So with a heavy snarl, he charged after his prey, fully intending to end them both; in fact, perhaps he and the others can eat the older child as a bonus. Their screams of terror were only motivating him and he knew it would only be a matter of time before they drew unwanted attention. Catching up to them with ease, he lunged at full force, his head smashing violently into the ground when his targets took an evasive sharp turn. His body taking the impact in stride, he was unfazed as he righted himself quickly and tore after them once again.

It was extremely difficult to keep moving this fast with such precious cargo positioned precariously on her face. Cera was having a hard time seeing what's in front of her, but that hardly mattered as she knew she had to reach home and avoid certain death while she's at it. It wasn't too long ago that she woke up after noticing an absence of warmth by her side. She found Tricia had wandered off and hurried to retrieve the bundle of curiosity before her parents woke up. Now she was regretting not alerting them to her sister's disappearance.

"Hold on tight, Sis! We could make it!" she shouted in encouragement, as much for herself as to Tricia. She glanced behind her to see practically nothing but teeth and she sped up, barely managing to pull ahead and avoid the bite by a hair. This was feeling unpleasantly familiar, and she couldn't quite put her paw on it. What does it matter anyway, not like…

Suddenly, it hit her. It was nothing physical, but images were flashing in her mind's eye. She's been in a situation like this before, a horrible memory that could've traumatized her for life. Now it was resurfacing and she had no choice but to face it as she continued to run for the lives of both her and her sister.

_It was incredibly dark as she stumbled into a cave. The feeling of anger was still incredibly strong; so much so, that she didn't particularly care that she was alone. The others fell behind and she was in no mood to stop and wait up for them. If they wanted Littlefoot back so badly, then they can join with him, or they'll just have to make due themselves! She had the Great Valley to find, a family to reunite with, and nothing was going to slow her down! She certainly hadn't notice the danger they were all in; otherwise, it could've been an entirely different story._

_Pressing forward further into the cave, she was grumbling and muttering under her breath when she saw a disconcerting sight: a torn body of a dead Onehorn, whom looked to be about her age, if not a bit younger. Oh no, a sharptooth was nearby, she knew it! What if it was...him? THE Sharptooth?! Looking about herself in a panic, she chose a direction and took off, hoping to reach the exit before the massive predator came back. But in her hurry, she slammed into something hard and scaly._

_Giving a startled scream, she stepped back as a Domehead stirred from his sleep and glared down at her. Nearby were his two companions and they too were waking at the sound of Cera's shrill scream. Seeing what they were, she relaxed as she had seen Domeheads before. They were Leaf Eaters, just like her, and posed practically no threat whatsoever. __At least, that's what she first thought before the trio began growling sinisterly, standing up to tower over her little form. Regardless of their harmless dietary preferences, she knew she was in trouble and that it would be a very wise move to run. Forgetting her anger, forgetting her pride, forgetting everything, she bolted as the trio immediately gave chase..._

It was uncannily similar to what was happening now and that's probably what spurred these nearly forgotten memories. She knew those particular Domeheads were unusually vicious and that she shouldn't be judging a species from the actions of a few bad Tree Sweets. However, her first encounter wasn't to be discarded so easily and although she couldn't readily recall it anytime she wanted before this point, it did leave an imprint on her. She's always avoided Domeheads when she could, never really interacting with them and even feeling a bit of fear in their presence. Of course, her natural pride would hide the latter fact, but it didn't change how she felt.

Now that fear was only going to get stronger. Now adding to her old memories were the current events of trying to survive this encounter. Forcing her legs as fast as she could push them, she was so close to the nest that she could practically smell the familiar scent of home. The Domehead, -one whom she now unpleasantly recognizes-, was beginning to hiss in frustration and he made one last lunge that will no doubt kill both hatchlings instantly. But a saving grace came just in time as Cera nearly collided with a familiar black leg.

"What's going on here?!" Mr. Threehorn snarled as his children hid behind him without any amount of hesitation. Cepher saw his chance has been blown and he cursed under his breath as he forced himself to skid to a stop, coming to a rest just a few feet short of hitting the adult dinosaur. Although his mind was swimming on what to do, how to react, he kept himself in check and he gathered his wits with an angered swish of his tail. But before he could respond, Cera did it for him as she placed her sister down on the ground.

"He was trying to kill us! And he hurt Tricia!"

"What?!" was the enraged reaction from the larger dinosaur and he glared right at Cepher with unparalleled anger and hatred, pawing the ground threateningly. The Domehead leader growled directly at the young ones before regarding the Threehorn's anger and snorted. This was not good, he knew, and it was best to cut his losses, gather his companions, and leave before the news spread and things got outta hand.

Practically radiating blatant disrespect and defiance, Cepher turned his back on the other dinosaur and attempted to make a dignified run for it. However, judging from the pounding footfalls behind him, he was not going to be allowed to make such a move and he hardly threw himself out of the way in time to avoid a full-on charge from the angry father. Snarling, Cepher glared death at the older dinosaur, whom exhaled a practical cloud from his nose before speaking in a low, _very_ threatening voice.

"I think it's time to arrange another meeting."

To which, the Domehead could only respond with a fear-hiding sneer.

_**Back In The Clearing…**_

"What's taking Cepher so long?" Pacia questioned as she and Rus sat side-by-side against a tree, keeping an eye on the restrained sharptooth as they waited. Their leader has been gone for over an hour now and they were starting to fidget restlessly. It shouldn't take that long to find a hatchling and kill it. Maybe there were no wandering hatchlings out tonight and Cepher was strategizing how to steal one from its own nest without getting caught. That certainly made a lot of sense; maybe they shouldn't be too worried about it.

Growing bored, Rus turned his attention to the young sharptooth, whom has been unusually quiet and still the past few minutes. Standing from the comforting warmth of Pacia's side, he wandered over to the hatchling to catch him attempting to gently pull his hands free of his bonds. The child stopped when he noticed the Domehead's approach, but it was too late to hide it. Growling in warning, Rus then allowed a leer to flicker across his face as he leaned over and tightened those bonds as far as they would go. The sharptooth gave a muffled yelp in response to this and he chuckled in dark amusement.

"Now stay put, ya little brat. We can't have you running loose and risk getting hurt, now can we?" he threatened before a voice rang out from the surrounding trees.

"Can't have _who_ running loose?"

Instantly, Rus stepped in front of the hatchling in an attempt to hide him as Pacia stood with a hostile glare in the voice's direction. After a moment, Mrs. Maia and Kosh pushed passed the vegetation and stepped into the clearing, each bearing their own heated glares as they regarded the two Domeheads.

"None of your business, now get out of our territory!" Pacia hissed angrily, stepping up to join Rus in hiding the sharptooth. This wasn't good; they _HAD_ to get these intruders out of here before they see the sharptooth! It would be inevitable if they stayed and then who knows what'll happen next! Unfortunately, these two weren't going anywhere and they made it perfectly clear as they both let out their own growls.

"We're not leaving until we feel like it!" Kosh retorted back with an aggressive swish of his tail. "Anyway, you two have to get to the Rock Circle. Now!"

The Rock Circle? Did everyone already come to their decision about the sharptooth? Strange how it took till this hour in the night to pass on a verdict, with everyone fast asleep nonetheless. Something didn't feel right about this at all and Rus shook his head stubbornly, crossing his arms as he scowled. "We're not going anywhere without Cepher, so do us all a favor and get out before you stink up the place."

Kosh's angry glare intensified and Mrs. Maia casted a glance at the Clubtail to make sure he won't do something rash, despite how much she would want it to happen just to put these arrogant Domeheads in their place. But no, starting a fight was not what they're here for, so they'll just have to ignore the hostilies as best they could. With that in mind, the Crestless Swimmer continued with only a snappy tone to express her heavy disdain. "Your little leader is already at the Rock Circle and everyone's waiting for you tw-."

"What do we have here?" Kosh interrupted, glaring passed the Domeheads at the little bundle they were obviously attempting to hide. The Clubtail ambled forward despite the snarls from the two. They could threaten all they wanted; there was literally nothing they could do to keep the heavily-armored dinosaur from shoving his way through their barricade.

Chomper looked up at Mr. Clubtail, a huge look of relief overtaking his face. Kosh didn't really know how to respond for a moment before he casted a highly suspicious glare at the duo. Rus and Pacia glared right back, their claws clenching as they both wanted so badly to tear at the Clubtail for having the gall to defy them in such a matter. But they both knew they won't be able to do much, if any damage to Kosh even if they worked together. And so, begrudgingly, they stayed back, making no attempts to charge and saying nothing that might make them even more suspicious in their eyes.

Looking to Mrs. Maia, who nodded with her arms crossed, Mr. Clubtail leaned down and grasped the child's scruff in his mouth, taking care not to harm the tied-up hatchling. Turning, he followed Mrs. Maia before said female glared over her shoulder at the duo who was still wishing them dead.

"Come on, we don't have all night!"

Reluctantly, grumbling vile words under their breath, the two Domeheads allowed themselves to be led to the meeting place, knowing that this won't be good news at all…

* * *

_"You hold the answers deep within your own mind. Consciously you've forgotten it. That's the way the mind works. Whenever something is too unpleasant, too shameful for us to entertain, we reject it and erase it from our memories, but the imprint is always there. Nothing is ever really forgotten." _-The inspiring quote I took to heart regarding Cera's flashback scene.

Oooooo boy, looks like the Domeheads are gonna be getting into a whole lot of trouble. Will they think their way out of this or will the truth finally come out? Find out in the next chapter!


	14. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I don't own the Land Before Time franchise or any of its characters.

Special Thanks to the Following For Reviewing:  
jjhatter- You gotta bunch of relevant quotes, doncha? :D I'm tempted to submit this on the full week, but I'm feeling merciful upon your unblinking eyeballs, so here ya go!  
Lanny-Sama- I love that 'punch the leaf eaters for stupidity' image! But yeah, the Domeheads are certainly very smart, so let's see if they get that medal or not! (starts handcrafting some medals, just in case)  
SuperMarioKyle- Those weasels always have something up their sleeves, but will it work this time? And Domeheads suck? Don't judge the species XD! And be patient with that deal, it'll pop up eventually!  
Blackwolf- Yup, they've been caught, but who knows, they'll probably get out of it scotfree and kill off Chomper; I'm certainly evil enough to pull something like that! :D  
Sleeping-force's-inside- Yeah, I've been planning Cera's flashback for a while; I'm so excited that I managed to get to it!  
blitzer- But they're not near any Smoking Mountains, how can they burn in the firey pits? XD Anyway, I have plenty of stories on Chomper (mostly with Thud) and I'll probably have more future ideas regarding the little sharptooth! :) And I would love to read your story, but I'm not into Bakugon and know absolutely nothing about it. Sorry ^.^'  
Bowser Jr. Nutt- No problem on the delay at all; real life can really slow one down! I guess the pacing can be a bit quick for some people, but I feel that making the story longer than intended will drag out and become repetitive. There's a bit more to it, but I'll talk about it on the next chapter! I'm glad you found my use for Tricia interesting; it's one of the ways I wanted Cera to come into real contact with the Domeheads and finally remember her previous ordeal. Yes, the Domeheads are psychos that basically feels the need to kill anything different from them, especially if something isn't going right. I've always wanted to have that flashback scene and I think I pulled it off pretty well! And I'm so surprise by how intent everyone is on finding out Thud and Chomper's deal; I think I should feel good about that!  
MissBliss- Yay to rejoicing! Or will it be too early to rejoice? Read the chapter below to find out!

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Chapter 13

Cepher stood in the center of the Rock Circle with his arms crossed, wondering just how he was going to get out of this one. He's been caught harming a hatchling and it turns out, that's only the beginning. As he turned at the sound of some new arrivals to the Rock Circle, he saw Mrs. Maia return with Kosh, whom was holding the little sharptooth in his mouth. Pacia and Rus arrived immediately after and saw their leader in… Instantly a look of horror flickered on their faces as they knew something was _definitely_ not right. Unsure what to do, they stood frozen for a moment and didn't move until they saw Cepher nod them over with undisguised fury. They dashed over quickly and, not wasting a beat, Pacia whispered under her breath the only question residing in her mind in their current situation.

"What's going on?"

Cepher didn't answer as he watched Kosh place the sharptooth a ways next to them, Mrs. Maia reaching down to untie his bonds. Upon being freed, the child stood up and rubbed his snout and wrist, which were red with painful sores.

Chomper was never so happy to see the Valley residents. He was terrified of the Domehead's captivity, and was starting to lose hope when there were no signs of escape. Standing here now, he noticed that all the hostile attention was on the Domeheads instead of him and he wondered what had happened. He couldn't get the opportunity to ask when Mr. Threehorn started the meeting, voice heavy in rage.

"Tonight is different than all other nights as it was not Chomper that committed terrible crimes, but the Domehead leader known as Cepher. He has been caught red-handed chasing my children with the intent to kill and succeeded in harming my youngest, Tricia."

Mutters arose immediately from the crowd, filled with disbelief and anger for what they were hearing. Chomper himself could hardly believe it; his luck just couldn't be this good, could it? Finally, those Domeheads were caught doing something and this was the best opportunity he'll _ever_ have to expose the truth, so he'll have to take full advantage of it. Poor Tricia, though… He looked over at the little hatchling that stood by Cera, nurturing leaves covering her injuries. He hoped she would be okay and he was about to voice his sympathies for the child when another voice cut in first.

"I had no intentions of killing anyone, horn-face." Cepher growled defiantly. "I admit to harming the child in a fit of rage, but next time, _you_ should've been more careful in making sure your little brat didn't intrude on our territory."

"We weren't anywhere near your territory!" Cera exclaimed, feeling safe enough in the presence of her father to openly call out the larger dinosaur on his lie. "I saw you far from your stupid clearing and Tricia never runs away from anything!" _Unfortunately…_ she had the brief thought, but made no efforts to voice it.

"How do you explain that away?!" Mr. Threehorn demanded, glaring relentlessly at the offenders.

"Easy. Your pathetic excuse for a hatchling's lying, as kids always d-"

"No, I'm not! I would _never _lie about this!" Cera retorted, cutting the Domehead off but falling quiet when Tria gave her a look that communicated for her to wait her turn before speaking again. Topsy, however, was a high authority figure in the Great Valley and he wasn't restricted on when to speak the way his daughter was.

"She would _never_ lie about this!" he repeated her words with a huff. "I taught her better than that!" He glanced over in Chomper's direction and continued, the anger never leaving his voice for even a second. "And it seems your colleagues have kidnapped Chomper while you were gone, or did you _order_ them to do it?"

Before Cepher could respond, Chomper saw the opportunity and jumped on it with more intent than if it was the tastiest Crawler in the world, pointing a claw at the trio. "He told them to and they _wanted_ to follow his orders! They were going to frame me again and were trying kill Tricia to do it!"

This got gasps from the surrounding crowds, each not too sure how to react as the sharptooth's previous 'the-Domeheads-did-it' claim might actually have weight to it, much more weight than any of them has previously imagined. But the Domehead leader wasn't going to give in so easily and he growled out his words with an extremely hostile underlying hiss.

"That's a load of sharptooth dirt!" he cursed, not missing a single beat as he continued, his companions barely restraining themselves from lashing out at the youngster. "The Threehorn hatchlings I attacked for intrusion. I admit, harming the youngest one was out-of-line and I wasn't thinking too clearly when I did it. But I had no intention to kill either of them. And the sharptooth wasn't 'kidnapped'. We merely took him under a stricter vigilance, as I doubt an old fool like Thickhead, or whatever his stupid name is, could be a sufficient guard."

There was incredibly thick silence as everyone was trying to comprehend the situation and make their judgment based on it. However, it wasn't over when Mr. Threehorn looked over to Cera.

"Cera, you told me you had something important to say in this meeting?"

The older child nodded and she looked around before piping up, her voice easily loud enough as she told what she felt was a very significant story. "I remember now, when I was much younger, my friends and I were on our way to the Valley for the first time. I found myself alone and I bumped into these three. They tried to kill me once they saw me and…" She looked over to her friends, pawing the ground a bit as she continued. "And I would've been dead by now if the others hadn't shown up, looking like a great big, black, gooey monster..."

More silence, broken only from the growing snarls of the Domeheads. The trio has killed and attempted to kill many hatchlings, so it was difficult to remember anyone specific. But now they recalled their encounter with this particular hatchling. They were sleeping after a satisfying meal and she literally slammed right into Cepher. Although they weren't particularly hungry, they attacked her anyways for their usual reasons of fun and hatred... although a snack wasn't entirely excluded as an option either. They would've gotten their toy/dessert when a huge…_something_ made its terrifying appearance. Up till now, they had no idea what that creature was, but hearing it was just a bunch of stupid kids made the anger almost too much to bear. And that anger was only going to get stronger when the young Threehorn added something else.

"There was a dead hatchling near them too! If what Chomper's saying about them is true, then I don't doubt they killed that one."

Chomper felt a swell of joy when he heard Cera back him up. Wasn't it not long ago that she openly accused him of being responsible for all this? And now… He would hug her, but now was not the time. Looking over to the Domeheads, he saw them looking absolutely infuriated and he was a bit reluctant to push on. But he knew he had to; the lives of every hatchling in this Valley depended on it!

"While I was sniffing for clues earlier, I noticed that every missing hatchling scent had yours intermingled with it. And that crevice I followed Thud in, it smells just like you," He glared straight at Cepher, his sharptooth instincts causing an angry-sounding growl to rise up as he thought of all the things those Domeheads did and what they no doubt will keep on doing if he doesn't confront them once and for all! "You know of that opening and you were going to use it as an excuse while I was gone, weren't you? Having used me up and thrown me out, I bet you three have all kinds of back-up plans, all so you can keep killing _babies_ like the cowardly monsters you are!"

"You good for nothing, carcass-crunching, son of a tar pit!" Rus practically roared right at Chomper, unable to take it anymore. The crowd gasped at the exceptionally bad language and some shielded the ears of the children present.

No longer tolerating such words especially in front of the young ones, Grandpa put on a reprimanding look as he spoke up. "There is no need for such harsh-"

"Oh, shut it, you old coot!" Rus snarled before charging right at Chomper, who cried out before Mr. Threehorn intervened and slammed the other dinosaur aside with his own charge. Once more, silence fell in the clearing as the Threehorn stood defensively in front of Chomper, glaring as Rus got back up to his feet. The other two Domeheads did nothing to help their companion and in fact, glared at him and his foolishness. Such a rash behavior could've made this whole thing worse and they didn't need that! So when the younger male joined up with them, Cepher gave him a reprimanding whack with his tail, done so strongly that it knocked the smaller dinosaur down. Not done with him, Cepher planted his foot on Rus' neck, leaning down to whisper softly through clenched teeth.

"Do you have _any_ idea what you've just done? Thanks to your little stunt, I don't think we can get out of this mess. I swear, Rus, if we _live_ through this, I'm gonna make you wish these idiots have _killed_ you instead." Cepher snarled savagely. Rus didn't reply at all, stock still with his eyes firmly closed in pain, fear, and embarrassment, not wanting to do anything that might fuel his leader's rage. After that dark promise of future inflicted harm, Cepher lifted his foot off and roughly yanked Rus to his own feet. Keeping his gaze down, the humiliated Domehead wandered to Pacia's side, only to earn a hiss as the female stepped away from him. Looking around the observant crowd, Cepher knew that they weren't going to save themselves now, and prepared himself for the next move.

"I believe that speaks for itself." Mrs. Maia said, after a moment of tense and awkward silence. "It's clear that these three are certainly violent enough to kill our children, and would've done so both before and now if Threehorn hadn't acted so heroically."

"But why would you three do such a thing? Harming adults I could maybe understand, but _children_?" Mrs. Swimmer said in true horror. "Have you no shame!?"

At this, Cepher snorted, knowing there was no use lying anymore. They were found out and he saw no further reason in keeping the charade up and bury themselves into a deeper hole of trouble. In fact, why should he lie to begin with? Everything, since the very beginning, has always been for their own survival and he saw nothing wrong with anything they had committed: killing hatchlings had always lessened the competition, eating those hatchlings is a natural diet for them now, and using the sharptooth as a shield had ensured they got everything they needed for life up to this point. And so, he replied with a haughty tone, standing tall in a defiant posture. "No, I don't feel shame, and neither does Pacia or Rus. We kill your stupid offspring simply because we hate them, and it's _fun_."

The way he said that last part was so dark and sadistic, it sent chills down the spines of many. They couldn't believe what they heard, and their disbelief was only going to get stronger as Cepher thought to himself for a further moment, contemplating whether or not to let the entire truth out. Telling his audience would obviously enrage every single one of them, but perhaps sharing a true legitimate reason will make them see their logic and will lessen their sentence after hearing their story. It was a gamble, certainly, but it's one Cepher knew he had to make. And so he continued, speaking calmly and steadily.

"Several Cold Times ago, my companions and I were on the verge of death from the lack of food. There was not a single leaf, no Tree Fuzz, not even a shriveled up Sweet Bubble in sight no matter where we went. Absolutely nothing. Our only hope was our journey to this Valley and even that seemed like an impossible goal to reach with every passing day..."

He winced as his memories went back to that fateful night, how hungry and desperate they were for even a bite of something, -_anything!_-, to eat. It seemed like a lifetime ago, and yet was so very clear and vivid that his stomach had to be convinced that it was all behind them. Glancing at his companions, whom stayed solemnly quiet in their own reveries, he continued.

"But then I had an epiphany and I realized we did have food...in the form of your hatchlings." He ignored the startled screams and cries the crowd expressed when he said that, their eyes wide and staring in horror, and he continued in an unwavering tone. "That was our saving grace and what allowed us to live as long as we did. We had no choice but to take every opportunity presented to us. And although we now have plenty of green food, we still choose to honor our decision by continuing it to this very day." He smirked as he crossed his arms, meeting the gaze of every parent whom has lost a hatchling, his mocking arrogance returning at full force. "Those missing hatchlings you keep making a big deal about? We ate them. And you know what else? _They all_ _tasted. S__o. Good_."

This got an incredibly disgusted and shocked response from the others and even Mr. Threehorn looked astounded by what he was hearing. Chomper certainly wasn't expecting it, and he let his mouth drop open. He thought he had them all figured out, but they were…_ eating_ the hatchlings?! They were even more unnatural than he originally thought and he could barely wrap his head around it. It just wasn't right! These Domeheads had to be faking it, pulling some kind of weird, sadistic prank. They made that whole story up and now they're going to laugh and taunt the crowd for believing any of it, right? But the young sharptooth knew deep down that this was serious, that there wasn't a hint of deception in any of those words that obviously meant something to the Domehead trio.

Amused by everyone's stunned silence, Cepher glanced again at the other two before continuing, holding his head high as he indeed taunted his audience. "You all heard right. We've been eating your precious children and you were all so gullible enough to believe us when we blamed the sharptooth. Really, it was your ignorance that costed so many lives. How you all soooo easily turned on one of your own was simply priceless."

Again only silence as everyone exchanged glances at each other, everything finally beginning to sink in. And as it did, the hostility of the Rock Circle grew beyond any intensity it's ever reached before. Enraged parents began yelling in fury when Mr. Threehorn roared out for everyone's silence. Glaring so many thorns at the Domeheads that they might've turned into a thornbush if it was possible, he continued, struggling to keep his tone relatively calm.

"Never have I heard of such a disgusting and unnatural act. You three are abominations, freaks among Leaf Eaters. And if you wanna act like sharpteeth, then we'll treat you like sharpteeth, which is pretty generous as I believe you're even worse than they are. We will not banish you three as doing so will only spread the trouble to everyone else, as it's obvious you are all a danger to everyone that you meet. As such, I hereby sentence Cepher, Pacia, and Rus to death."

Before any of the three Domeheads could react, the crowd let out a unified cry and charged right for them. Tensing, each of the three had the urge to fight back, but the odds will be so heavily against them. So instead, they were forced to turn and run, the angry mob chasing after them.

Chomper lay curled up, trembling as the grown-ups stampeded above him. Some footfalls were too uncomfortably close to him, and he was afraid he'll get squashed in the mayhem. Luckily, as soon as a break arrived, he felt something gently grab his tail and lift him out of harm's way. It was Grandma, carrying the young sharptooth safely away and setting him down next to Littlefoot, to whom the youngster huddled against. That was way too close.

Cepher and his subordinates showed no signs of slowing down, frantically heading for the nearest Valley exit. Several Flyers had swooped down upon them, and they ducked to receive only stinging pecking wounds. Some of the smaller Feathered Flyers were bolder and fluttered all around the three Domeheads, clawing and biting as they hoped to slow the fugitives down. But all they really were was an annoyance and Cepher snapped his jaws at them. He succeeded in grabbing one, earning a squawk of pain and causing the rest to scatter. Killing his captive with a tensing of his jaw muscles and throwing the body aside, he glanced behind himself and barely avoided a swing from a Spiketail.

Snarling defensively, he charged at the attacking dinosaur as soon as an opening made itself available, slamming hard into the Spiketail's side and earning a cry as the four-footer fell to the ground, Cepher resuming his retreat immediately after. Quickly glancing about, he spotted Pacia and Rus attempting to evade some of the mob's faster members. Gaining a quick lead, several Rainbowfaces attempted to cut the two off, only to pay for such a move when the Domeheads relentlessly smashed into a few of them. Cepher would smirk in approval if the situation hadn't been so dire. And it was only going to get worse as another Leaf Eater made its attempt to cut him off in turn. Seeing what it was, the leader of the retreating trio skid to a stop.

It was a light brown-colored Domehead, one of the locals. The trio barely interacted much with Domeheads of the Great Valley, although they had certainly showed _much _friendlier behavior towards them, being the same species and all. Cepher recalled having a few civil debates with this particular individual, mostly on why the local Domeheads have abandoned their wild heritage and chose to live peacefully and without insult alongside the inferior Leaf Eaters. But those interesting and sometimes amusing conversations meant nothing now as it was clear Cepher wasn't about to get passed this point without a fight. Growling at his fellow Domehead, he knew he had no time for a ritualized fight and, although he was reluctant to harm another of his kind, he had no choice as he lunged for the other dinosaur. His opponent lunged in turn and a loud impact between the two practically echoed through the Valley.

Normally, two fighting Domeheads would either pull away for another charge or start pushing and shoving. But this was not a normal fight and Cepher added his claws into the mix, slashing at his enemy's body and earning a shriek of surprised pain as the other Domehead pulled away. Taking full advantage, Cepher charged, slamming full force into the other Domehead's underbelly and digging the horns on his nose as deeply as he could. He felt claws and teeth tearing at his back in retaliation and he hissed in pain as he stepped back and snapped around, slamming his muscular tail into his fellow Leaf Eater. This Domehead has obviously lived in this Valley for a long time, having lost the edge that comes with unrelenting aggressiveness that was necessary in the Mysterious Beyond. Not failing to notice that, Cepher didn't hesitate and tackled the slightly-dazed dinosaur before him.

Both rolling along with ground with vicious snarls and screeches, claws slashing and teeth snapping, it became obvious that Cepher was the superior Domehead, his instincts complimented with something his opponent didn't have: Predatory experience. He knew how to go for the kill and he hardly needed a split-second's opportunity to clamp his jaws into the other Domehead's throat. The brown Domehead's cries were immediately cut off as he found he couldn't breathe and his struggles took on a more defensive and desperate state. Cepher didn't want to have to resort to this, but he knew that his attacker wasn't going to show submission no matter the circumstance; this Valley Leaf Eater was willing for a fight to the death and that's what he'll get. So Cepher tightened his jaws, holding down his struggling victim whose thrashes were weakening by the second.

Casting a glance, he saw one group of Leaf Eaters were closing the distance to him uncomfortably fast and he knew he had to end this quickly. Giving a vicious shake, putting all his upper strength into it, he felt the other Domehead's struggles die down to a complete halt and he released the limp and bleeding dinosaur, only having time to offer a sympathetic glance at the unmoving body before running off again. A jolt of pain wracked his body from his new injuries, but he ignored them as he continued his retreat, always keeping tabs on his companions.

None of the trio were not going to give in to their fate easily and it was only when an unexpected attack from above occurred that something happened. Pacia suddenly found herself blinded when a small Flyer threw itself right into her face, hanging on and allowing its body and wings to block the female's vision. It was a risky move, but worth it when Pacia tripped over as a result. Instantly, she was engulfed in a furious crowd, their angry yells barely doing anything to muffle her screams.

Instantly, both Cepher and Rus froze in their tracks, knowing without even looking that one of their own has been caught. For Rus, the shrill cry was all that existed in the world, and defying every instinct to keep running, he made no hesitation in rushing back for her. No way was he gonna let her fall victim to this. It was all his fault anyways; if he hadn't tried to kill that sharptooth, if he had just controlled himself, then maybe this whole thing wouldn't have happened and they would've been saved with a less harsh punishment. Maybe they could've even been able to talk their way out completely and without having to tell everyone the truth if he hadn't been so…stupid!

Shoving passed the other Leaf Eaters in desperate fury, he winced as pain began to start all over his body as the crowd shared their attacks on him as well. Ignoring all this as best he could, he reached Pacia and grabbed hold of her bloodied form. Pushing his way towards the outer edge, he gathered his strength and shoved the nearly-unconscious Pacia free of the mob. Cepher hurried over to his injured comrade and pulled her to her feet before turning his attention to Rus, whom was now the very center of the crowd's attention.

The leader was about to rush in to grab him when the smaller Domehead's words rang out over the din of the mob. "Leave me! Get Pacia to safety!"

For a second, Cepher wasn't too sure how to respond. He had to save his companions, and choosing between them was not an easy decision. Go for Rus, he'll be leaving Pacia defenseless... Save Pacia, and Rus will be lost to them. But eventually, he reluctantly heeded Rus' word and sacrifice and he prompted Pacia to start running despite her condition. The female could hardly manage the feat and she was relying mostly on Cepher for support. The larger Domehead knew that they were still being pursued despite the majority of attention on their fallen comrade.

Spotting the Secret Caverns, he knew that if they could reach the crevice and squeeze out, they could avoid getting caught by the larger members of the Valley. The smaller ones, he can deal with on his own. Yes, he was injured from the persistent Flyer attacks and from that fight with the Domehead, but he was nowhere near the severity of Pacia's wounds. He'll just have to try his best.

Arriving at the Caverns, the two dinosaurs reached the crevice and Cepher encouraged Pacia to climb through on her own. Although she was barely able to keep awake, Pacia shakily squeezed herself through, holding in her cries of pain as the unpleasant walls scrapped her maimed body and grew red with her blood. Intent on earning her time, Cepher faced the oncoming mob and kicked up some dirt with a snort.

Not bothering to choose any particular target, he lunged with unmatched ferocity, tackling down a Spikethumb and tearing into it with all the savagery of a cornered sharptooth. Of course, the other dinosaur fought back, driving his defensive weapons into his attacker, drawing long gashes from Cepher's body. The Domehead ignored this as he continued to rip at his target before spontaneously leaping for someone else, slamming his head full-force into a Fan-Back Swimmer. He was giving her the same treatment before he was hit alongside his head with an excruciating force, knocking him off his victim, and it was only his body's natural resiliency to impact that kept him from falling unconscious in an instant.

Recovering as quickly as he could, knowing that even a second's delay could spell his doom, Cepher rolled back to his feet and snarled at Kosh, whom was swinging his tail for the Domehead once again. Cepher jumped out of the way and backed against the crevice, listening for signs that Pacia had reached the other side. There were a few more crumbling sounds from within and Cepher snarled at the gathering crowd beginning to surround him. Baring his sharper teeth defiantly, he heard silence from the crevice before turning and squeezing inside himself. The instant he did, he heard and felt an impact against the wall and knew the other Leaf Eaters were trying to trap him in a cave-in, perhaps kill him with it. Rocks began tumbling from above and he disregarded them as he forced himself through a few more tugs and finally hit open air of the Mysterious Beyond.

Catching his breath and selectively ignoring as much pain as he could afford, he glanced around for Pacia to find her lying on the ground several feet away, motionless. His heart skipped a beat and he hurried by her side, leaning down to gently nudge her snout with his own.

"Pacia? Pacia, speak to me!" he commanded of her, shaking her a bit. She was still breathing, he could tell, though it was bordering nonexistent. He heard a few attempts to mumble and he strained his ears to listen. But it was useless as she began coughing out blood before finally going completely still, where not even her last breath was detectable.

Silence filled the thick air around him and Cepher, for once, was at a stand-still, physically and mentally stunned by what had happened right before him. In less than a few moments, he lost practically the only companions, the only friends he's had for the vast majority of his life; they were practically family to him. And now…

Feeling a tickle on his cheek, it took him a while to understand that a few drops of tears were tracing down his face. It's been a long time since he felt any of the sort, and he wasn't too sure if he should attempt to force them away or not. Regardless, he stepped closer to his deceased companion and softly began licking the blood from her face before laying himself down beside her, curling his tail around her gradually cooling body as he rested his head across her neck.

He was willing to stay like this for an indefinite amount of time, when he heard rustling vegetation nearby. He ignored it at first; if those Leaf Eaters were foolish enough to come out here after him, then they'll soon pay the price. But it was soon clear that it wasn't the Valley residents at all as a growl emerge from the concealing plants and a green Fast Biter emerged into view. Catching sight of the sharptooth, Cepher immediately growled out a warning, not budging from his spot as he held Pacia's body protectively close. For once, he was in no mood to fight, but he wasn't about to let the predator take Pacia away. Not while he was still breathing...

Pacing at a safe distance, Thud evaluated the Domeheads in front of him. It seems the little biter came through with his promise after all and Thud allowed a smirk to grace his features as he cautiously moved a bit closer to his potential prey. When he left the Valley and returned to his companions, he slept the rest of the night before waking and telling Redclaw that he was going to go off on his own for a while. The larger sharptooth didn't seem to particularly care and Screech asked no questions either as such a thing was not unusual. Scouting the Great Wall relentlessly all day, he's been searching for signs of the Domeheads, careful not to keep his hopes too high in case the little biter's plan failed.

Luckily, though, it seems the plan went through and the exiled Domeheads now made for such tempting targets. One was dead, obviously, and the other was heavily injured with bleeding gashes along its body. But he wasn't going to let his guard down as these types of Leaf Eaters should never be taken lightly even when wounded; just one well-aimed hit from that skull could kill him, or at the very least incapacitate him. No, he'll be needing back-up and he lifted his head to let out a loud call for assistance from his pack-mates. Knowing they'll be here any minute, the Fast Biter bided his time, beginning to test how much he can get away with regarding his prey's limitations. Staying low to the ground, Thud slunk closer, acknowledging the Domehead's angry snarls with the occasional pause. He was highly interested in the dead female and he was willing to take a risk for just one bite.

Judging the Fast Biter has come close enough, Cepher stood up and stepped defensively in front of Pacia, tail swishing in a clear show that he was pissed. The sharptooth hesitated once more, before walking a bit off to the side. Cepher kept an eye on the carnivore as it stared at Pacia's body with obvious hunger. Lowering his head, he charged straight for the sharptooth, ignoring the pain brought up from the action. Instantly, the Fast Biter dashed off, the enraged Leaf Eater stopping at the spot the carnivore once stood. With his injuries, chasing the Fast Biter away completely was next to impossible and it seemed the sharptooth knew that as it too came to stop a short distance away, looking back at him.

Clenching his claws, Cepher glared death at the predator, never taking his eyes off it as it began to circle him again. It began making mock attacks, but the former leader was an experienced fighter and was not fooled by any of those pseudo-charges. Standing his ground firmly, he was practically daring the sharptooth to launch a direct attack on him. He may be in pain, but he was more than willing to tear into the Fast Biter for the sake of protecting what remained of his herd. But the Fast Biter held no true interest in him just yet and has actually managed to get within feet of Pacia, those mock charges a mere distraction rather than a way to get him to drop his guard. Clearly, he's underestimated this sharptooth. Cursing under his breath, Cepher made another full-on charge, intent on flat-out killing the sharptooth for daring to get that close to his fallen comrade.

Thud saw the charge just as he was leaning over to take a bite out of the tempting corpse, and having no time to turn and run, he jumped straight up into the air in an attempt to avoid a direct hit. Feeling a flash of panic, he felt the powerful blow grazing his underside and as he landed atop the Leaf Eater's head, he dug his claws into the Domehead's back to avoid stumbling over completely and making himself an easy target. A sharp pain erupted from his belly as the Domehead hooked his twin nose-horns into the Fast Biter's skin and threw him off violently. Flying through the air, Thud twisted his tail to right himself before landing on all fours, standing and dashing off as he heard the Domehead charge again. Knowing he wasn't going to get chased, he only retreated a safe distance before stopping and turning back to face his prey.

Stupid Leaf Eater; its friend was dead and there was no point in protecting her like this. Growling in irritation, Thud was about to try his luck again when he felt rumbles underfoot. Something large was coming and judging from the strides, it was his back-up. Grinning at the Domehead, he looked over as his pack-mates came into view.

Glaring over in the direction the rumbles were coming from, Cepher felt a spike of panic when he saw two more sharpteeth stalking towards him. One of them was another Fast Biter and the other... Snarling menacingly, he began kicking up dirt, ready to charge at an instant as the new arrivals cautiously began pacing a distance away, sniffing in his direction as the green Fast Biter called out to its companions. The larger sharptooth accompanying them seemed rather pleased and Cepher stood up straight, glaring at the trio with every last bit of anything he had…

The blue Fast Biter sped over to take up position on the opposite side of the Domehead from its green counterpart, the largest sharptooth in the group coming to rest a reasonable distance in front of the Cepher, cornering him against the wall and the now blocked crevice. With nowhere to run, Cepher stood protectively by Pacia's side, clenching his claws as the sharpteeth began closing in for the kill…

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Whoooooooooooooooo! Almost done! Just gotta short epilogue to submit! *starts dancing like a dork!* Please review as I make some important announcements and a more formal thanks to all my supporters on the bottom of the final chappy!

I feel bad though. Believe it or not, I do love the Domeheads very much (they're in my top three fave LBT characters of all time; right below Sierra and just above Thud), and doing this to them made me sad. Don't worry though! I've intended this fate from the very beginning, so none of your desires to see the trio dead influenced me. Though that ending does seem a tiny bit open, doesn't it :P ?


	15. Epilogue

Disclaimer: I don't own the Land Before Time franchise or any of its characters.

The special review thanks will be at the bottom of this chapter, 'cause it's loooooong! I've also added a little extra scene in the last chapter during the Domeheads' retreat from the Valley. Feel free to check it out and maybe add your thoughts about it when reviewing this chapter, but only if you want too! Now I've kept you guys waiting enough, so here's the final chapter!

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Epilogue

"I do believe we owe Chomper a truly sincere apology." Grandpa Longneck started in another meeting held just as the Bright Circle was rising into the sky. In the center was Chomper once again, but unlike before, he bore a huge smile on his face, his body tense not in fear or anger, but in excitement and happiness. All around him were the other grown-ups, their faces heavy with sincerity as they each began voicing their humblest apologies to the little sharptooth. Rubbing the back of his head in modesty, Chomper bashfully chimed in, voice only just loud enough for everyone to hear.

"It's okay; it wasn't anyone's fault..." _At least not anyone still here_, his thoughts reminded and he felt a very small spike of remorse and was confused by it. Those Domeheads used him, framed him, tortured him, and tried to kill him, _twice_! Why should he feel bad about their deaths? He supposed it was just part of his nature, to want the best for everyone, including his enemies. But in the end, he supposed that their deaths were necessary to ensure the greater good. He has heard the grown-ups say how they managed to end the life of one Domehead, and severely injured and chased the other two into the Mysterious Beyond. It felt horrible hearing how many were injured in the process; a couple of the resident Leaf Eaters were actually killed and the rest were treated for their grave wounds and was now resting at their nest. The very last word he heard of the entire situation was from a Flyer, carrying news that the female Domehead has perished and their leader was under siege by Redclaw, Screech, and Thud.

At least he kept his promise. Thud had given him what could've been the biggest break of his life and the Fast Biter deserved a good meal for his efforts.

Hearing the rumbles of footsteps and turning to Mr. Threehorn as the adult walked over to him, he felt his heart soar when the usually gruff and stern grown-up gave a very rare warm smile, directed at him! Mr. Threehorn has never smiled at him before, not even once, and he made a mental point to remember this moment forever.

"Chomper, while I have always hated those three vermin, I've been foolish to believe them over you. I personally apologize and I'd also like to say, thank you." He glanced back at his two daughters, knowing how close he was to losing them both forever. That thought sent a wave of emotion washing over him, especially the thought of losing Cera, seeing as she was the last remnant of his original family. He didn't know what he would've done if their fates turned out differently and he knew he had the little sharptooth to thank. He wasn't too proud to admit it, especially at this point. "If you hadn't returned, my daughters, their friends, and every hatchling in the Valley could've been lost."

_'I just wanted to do the right thing; no thanks needed!' _little Chomper wanted to say, but when he opened his mouth, nothing came out. He just couldn't get himself to verbally respond to this special moment, so, instead, he ran up to Mr. Threehorn's front leg and hugged it as tight as he could, snuggling his sniffer into the Threehorn's dark scales. The old dinosaur froze for a moment with wide eyes, unsure how to properly react to this gesture. Like his oldest daughter, he wasn't fond of hugs, especially if they came from sharpteeth, and he glanced around at the others to see them grinning good-naturedly at him and his predicament.

Clearing his throat as he tried to keep his pride intact whilst not being hostile, he gently pushed Chomper off him. "That's enough of that. A simple 'You're Welcome' would've been good enough." Chomper couldn't keep in a chuckle at the grown-up's reaction, the others sharing his amusement before quieting down when they saw Mr. Threehorn still had one last thing to add. "I think I speak for everyone when I say: Welcome back to the Valley."

The little sharptooth felt his heart practically leap into his throat. This was the best thing he could ever hope for: true acceptance back into the Valley, by Mr. Threehorn nonetheless! Looking around, he saw the other grown-ups, including the usually doubtful ones like Mrs. Maia, smiling warmly in agreement. He remembered before, when he knew that he was never truly welcomed by everyone. Well, now that feeling was evaporating completely, leaving behind the sense of belonging far greater than he's ever known. One thought entered his mind however and he turned back to Mr. Threehorn, his voice eager and his eyes shining as he spoke. "Does that mean I can play with my friends again?"

Grandpa Longneck looked over to Mr. Threehorn as well, seeing that he was the one that imposed that rule in the first place. The old Leaf Eater hesitated for a moment, thinking hard to himself. Even before this whole mess, he never really approved of Chomper playing with the children. With him being a sharptooth, it was always a risky thing to allow as there's always the danger of the little carnivore turning on them, or, more likely, making a mistake and allowing his predatory instincts to take hold for even a split second. But seeing the recent events and knowing exactly where Chomper stood in loyalty and that the little sharptooth was fully capable of controlling himself in even the harshest of circumstances, he felt the little carnivore has proven himself more than trustworthy. But the Threehorn ain't about to look soft about it and he made an effort to look reluctant despite his true feelings.

"As much as I don't like it... I suppose it will be okay."

With that, the gang cheered and practically leapt with joy before they all hurried over to a delighted Chomper, each hugging the little sharptooth in turn and receiving tight hugs in return. Oh, how Chomper has missed them so much since his banishment, and although he's had a brief encounter with Littlefoot on his return, it was incredibly short-lived. It was practically torture seeing his friends during his probation, but not being allowed anywhere near them. But now-

"Wait!" Littlefoot piped up as he stepped back, looking about before turning his attention to Chomper. "But what about Ruby?"

Chomper felt a jolt in his mind; in his excitement, he almost forgot! It made him feel a bit ashamed, forgetting about his friend like that. But given how much emotion he was currently going through, he supposed it was normal. He wondered if she was alright and told himself not to worry. Ruby's been living in the Mysterious Beyond almost all her life and she has her family to protect her. She knows how to take care of herself, and really not a lot of sharpteeth would be able to catch her if she ran full speed. Still... Fast Biters and especially Redclaw were always a problem and he'd rather she didn't stay there longer than necessary. Casting a glance at the Great Wall, he turned to everyone else in the crowd.

"She's still with her family in the Mysterious Beyond. We have to go find her so she can come back!" he told them, to which Mrs. Flyer stepped forward with her usual calm and kind expression, not too fazed by this 'problem' as she had the perfect solution.

"I can go ahead and look for her then. Being a Flyer, it shouldn't take me too long." Seeing the others nod in agreement, Mrs. Flyer turned towards the nearest portion of the Great Wall and spread her wings, about to leap into flight when Chomper piped up hurriedly, rushing beside her so as to stop her before take-off.

"Oh! Mrs. Flyer? Can I ask a favor?" he asked almost nervously, not knowing how the others would react to his request.

"Go ahead, Chomper." Petrie's mother replied, closing her wings to show that he had her full attention as he fiddled a bit with his claws, wondering how to phrase his question and his reasons for asking it.

"Um... I don't want Ruby to stay in the Mysterious Beyond, but..." Sighing, he looked up at the Flyer. "But when I was with her during my...uh...banishment, I never saw her so happy before, being with her family again. I don't want that happiness to go away by taking her from them just to watch over me. So, to keep her safe _and _keep her happy, can Ruby's family stay here too?"

This got a surprised look from the Flyer and she looked to the other grown-ups, knowing that their words were an important part to this matter as well. The adults glanced at each other, muttering and weighing just how much of a risk it would be allowing Ruby's family to stay. Fast Runners, especially _adult_ Fast Runners, were part-time carnivores, and sometimes even nest-raiders. Allowing them in here could be considered the equivalent of allowing an Egg Stealer. But seeing Ruby's dietary behavior during her stay here, they learned that Fast Runners could also be completely content with plants and Snapping Shells. Still, after just having carnivorous Domeheads around, would it really be wise to take the chance? Well, unlike those three Domeheads, Fast Runners weren't a viciously hostile species and if Ruby's kind heart was anything to go by, perhaps her family deserves a chance to be welcomed, even if it's under strict vigilance.

Considering the drawbacks and the solutions to said drawbacks, the adults looked to Grandpa Longneck and nodded. The elder nodded back before looking to Chomper.

"I don't see why not." he said with a warm smile. This once more got cheers from the kids as Mrs. Flyer spread her wings and took off towards the Mysterious Beyond, gliding effortlessly over the Great Wall and disappearing from sight. With Mama Flyer's departure, Grandpa returned his attention to Littlefoot and the rest of the Gang. "Why don't you young ones go and play? Us grown-ups need to discuss several other things, as well as needing to check up again on the injured."

The kids nodded and rushed off out of the Rock Circle together, talking over one another on how much they missed Chomper and although it was a bit difficult to keep track on who was saying what, Chomper happily soaked up the attention before they stopped by an open field.

"What game would you like to play, Chomper?" Cera asked, allowing the sharptooth to call first dibs on the game as she felt the little guy deserved it after all he's been through. The young sharptooth took a moment to think through his list of favorite games before grinning as he settled on a game that now held a new meaning to him.

"Let's play the Tree Sweet game! With Littlefoot and Petrie on my team!" But with the new meaning came something else and he couldn't help but add something hastily with a serious expression. "But if we lose the ball and it smushes on someone's head again, I don't wanna go get it."

This cued laughter from the others and within moments of finding a suitable Tree Sweet, they were kicking it around trying to score a goal, their delighted and competitive exclamations filling the air as they played their first game together in a while. Chomper was extra energetic in his play, knowing that from now on, they'll always be like this no matter what life threw their way.

_**Meanwhile, In The Mysterious Beyond...**_

Pain and agony was all he knew as he stumbled along, barely able to keep his footing. Blood dripped from practically every inch of his body, and he knew he was leaving a trail for practically every sharptooth to follow. He had just barely managed to escape his previous attackers, having fought bitterly now that he had nothing to lose. He's dealt some heavy blows, although acquired even more blows in turn. The sharptooth trio had actually allowed him to retreat, content on feeding from his already dead companion, and probably knowing he was going to die soon anyway. He knew this waiting game well, as he himself have employed the method countless times on some of the larger prey he and his companions had come across.

Now, _he_ was the prey...

He didn't know where he was going, nor did he particularly care; he was in a blood-loss induced daze, operating only by instinct until finally his legs could go no farther and he fell forward, his claws automatically shooting out to grab hold of a half-sized Twocrested Swimmer skeleton in a vain attempt to hold himself up. Breaths labored, he rested his head on the fallen dinosaur's backbone, his glazed blue eyes closing against the growing rays of the rising Bright Circle. He couldn't go on like this and he decided that he didn't really want to. Let fate decide what to do with him; he's got nothing left to live for.

He must've passed out for when he opened his eyes again, the Bright Circle was beating down on his torn body from the middle of the sky, drying some of his blood to cake against his scales. He felt a nipping pain on his neck, but he made no response to it even when a small sharptooth came into full view, perching on a rib. It was a Tiny Biter, one of the smallest of sharpteeth, and they were usually seen by the dead bodies of other dinosaurs. The injured Leaf Eater still made little response, just staring blankly at the little creature now looking back at him in curiosity. His mind must be frazzled, for the image of the little carnivore shimmered as it turned a purplish-blue color, taking on the appearance of a very familiar hatchling. He growled weakly at the hallucination and the former Tiny Biter, apparently unfazed by the feeble-sounding threat, leaned forward and bit his nose. That's when he finally reacted.

With a snap, he caught the surprised little sharptooth and bit down on it, hearing its bones crushing and its screams went dead. The hallucination evaporated on contact to reveal the real form once more, and he held the limp body in his jaws, not consciously doing anything, but beginning to chew on instinct. The pungent taste woke him completely from his stupor and his mind cleared gradually to become fully aware of what he was doing. This was the first sharptooth he's ever eaten and it was a very powerful and overwhelming taste that he personally found appealing. Now if only this sharptooth was the stupid little brat that caused his grave misfortunes...

Exhaling weakly, it took all of Cepher's strength to swallow the tiny creature before resting once more on his skeletal platform. His sense of reasoning coming back through his agony, he knew he has no choice but to stay here, perhaps rebuild a little of his strength by eating the small scavengers that will no doubt visit him. If luck was on his side, he'll get better enough to find a hiding place before the sharptooth trio began seeking him out once more. He'll recover and then join a herd of his own kind, rebuild his life from scratch. But that was if he survives, which seemed like a rather bleak concept at the moment. Blood-loss, the elements, larger sharpteeth... Practically everything was against him. Didn't matter; he'll do what he can and if he didn't make it, then it was just meant to be.

Closing his eyes once more, the images of Pacia and Rus flared in his mind's eye and a strange feeling of content washed over him, his pain disappearing slowly as he lost consciousness once more, for what could possibly be for the very last time...

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Would've gotten this submitted sooner, but the document it was on got deleted... Meh... So I had to rewrite it, preferably after I got over the anger. :D I finally finished this story... One of the few of my chapter stories that's actually complete. I'm...pleasantly amazed. What also amazes me is that, this is the most successful story I've ever written! Back when I first submitted this, I would've never thought it would get as much attention as it did, especially given it's slow start at gaining an audience.

Anyway, my sis should be happy now! She expressed a strong interest to read more on Cepher's supposed end, so being a good big sibling, I humored her with this chapter :) . I did leave some space for a sequel at the end, with the chance Cepher might survive. But I also left an ending as there's no guarantee that he lives passed this point. I'm not too sure yet. I'm also thinking of several spin-off stories to this, from alternate ending one-shots to one-shots that fills in some blanks (like Ruby's family's stay in the Great Valley, if I don't decide to make a sequel), as well as one-shots that I just felt like writing for no reason whatsoever :p . So keep an eye open for them if you're interested. I'm also working on a couple AMVs for this story, containing hand-drawn pictures from yours truly. If you guys would like to help me out with this huge project, you can feel free to draw out some stuff or some scenes from this story and give me a link so I can use it for the videos (with full credit to you, of course).

I believe those are all the important messages! And now for the combo review responses/ formal thanks. Here we go:

**hiphoplover**- You see, this is why I never use the internet on my phone! XD Thanks for the double review! I really appreciate it! You've been a long-time reviewer for this story and I really do have to thank you for being so loyal! *huggles*  
**Arkham18**- I love creating villains and I also (strangely) love killing off my favorite characters. Even though it saddens me, I always find it...pleasant and fascinating, especially if it's a slow death. It's hard to explain. So killing off Rus and Pacia and (potentially) Cepher gave me some morbid satisfaction. The 'because it's fun' part really creeped some of my real-life readers out and I felt great about it. You've been such a consistent reviewer that you're one of the few I actively wait to hear from. Thank you so much for motivating me with your short, but insightful reviews and I feel so bad that I can't express my gratitude in better words. *hugs!*  
**Bowser Jr. Nutt**- Oh, I wouldn't say that the Great Valley is a peaceful group incapable of mobbing in a murderous fashion. The vast majority of the grown-ups are actually quite vicious (as well as being mindless drones that goes along with anything and everything XD ). The biggest example of their cruelty was in the eleventh movie. The little Tinysauruses only ate flowers and a bush, and what was the grown-ups reaction? Hunt them down and exterminate them. O.o That's a pretty harsh sentence for eating something that'll grow back in a valley filled to the brim with green food. I have a feeling that even the Domehead trio, if they were present at the time, would be like 'The hell?', not because the valley would kill tiny longnecks (I have no doubt the Domeheads would indulge in the activity), but rather from the stupid reasons behind it. Anyway, regarding the deal, Chomper would agree that it's harsh, which was why he was reluctant about it, but he really couldn't think of anything else that might interest Thud and, like you said, it would be a win situation if it goes well. It was sad how far the Domeheads will go for each other, willing to die for the safety of another. Though they hate other species, they don't share that hatred with others of their own kind and certainly not for each other. Although Rus and Cepher have their rough times, they're still best friends and it really pained Cepher when he had to abandon him to save Pacia. Anyways, you were always one of the best reviewers I could ask for. Everytime I see that you've reviewed, I always have to take some time to calm my excitement before I actually read it. You've been a huuuuuuge help to me in both the reviews, and when I personally went to you for help. You've expressed surprisingly loyalty in waiting for updates, never losing interest even when it seems I've given up on the story. I'm really going to miss your feedbacks now that this story is over. Awwww, look at that... I'm tearing up.  
**Queen Ghidorah**- Oh, then you're probably grinning a bit more in this chapter, you bloodthirsty person XD. I, for one, am a very bloodthirsty person, and if only I wasn't holding back, I would make the blood and gore in this story much worse and the ending far less happy for Chomper. *snickers evilly* Luckily, I'm a Land Before Time purist, and too much blood isn't really canon. *huggles* I believe you were my very first reviewer in this story and you've been a major motivator because of it. I don't think I would've gone this far if it wasn't for that first review of yours!  
**Lanny-Sama**- I looooove despicable characters, so I made extra efforts to make these three extra despicable! I also love how you added the 'slash-"happens"' part, as if you knew what was going to happen in this chapter regarding Cepher. You are another one of my reviews I actively look forward of hearing from everytime I submit a story. You've been so patient with this story and I appreciate how strong your tolerance is to my slow updating! It's always fun hearing your input and I hope to hear from ya one more time as this story comes to an end. *snuggles*  
**blitzer99**- Lol! You weren't the only one wanting them dead, but you were the most enthusiastic about it! And you really expected little innocent Chomper to be devious? He had a hard enough time voicing the offer outloud! XD As for the 'son-of-a-tar-pit' thing, I just saw it on the LBT glossary as a extremely bad profanity and decided to utilize it. I think it's an insult to Chomper's mother in calling her a tar pit :D. Anyway, my formal thanks! You've been a relatively new reviewer, but you've quickly proven to be a very loyal fan from the very start by spamming my review section XD I knew from that point that I'm gonna like having you around! You've expressed such hilarious (aka morbid) interest in this story regarding the Domeheads and it's been a source of never ending amusement to me. Thank you so much for giving me such joy and I hope the very best for ya! *huggles*  
**SuperMarioKyle**- Yay, someone who still felt a bit of sympathy for the Domeheads! So bringing up their back story again was a good thing! As for Tricia, don't be so sure that I didn't feel the temptation to kill her off. I don't like her character (or the character of her mother) AT ALL, and having a character I love, like Cepher, kill her off entered my mind, a lot. Luckily for that annoying little pink threehorn, her death's unnecessary, and a potential hindrance to the story... Meh... Oh! And I'm not offended at all. Not a lot of people like villains as much as I do, and I actually found everyone's hostility for the Domeheads both amusing and encouraging. :D And the feeling's mutual for being in the presence of both a Mario and Transformer fan! Although your evilness has now turned Thud and Redclaw into Starscream and Megatron. XD I have so many thanks to you, that you've provided such amusing and insightful reviews and I also saw that you've started checking out my other stories! You deserve so many hugs and glomps!  
**jjhatter**-Lol! Looks like blitzer has competition! You two outta battle it out on who hates the Domeheads more! XD Anyway, like blitzer, you're a new reviewer, but you've displayed such amusing interest in the story. Especially that Chapter 11 comment on cannibals! I'm so glad I've made a story that appeals so much to you and I can't thank you enough for taking the time to make your reviews!  
**MissBliss**- I've received no review from you on the last chapter, but you've been such a loyal reader that I have to extend my formal thanks to you! You've stuck around practically from the beginning and you've displayed such patience with this story. I really can't thank you enough!  
**Heritor**- I haven't heard from you in a loooooong time, but just in case you're still reading this story, I'd like to thank you for being the first to give me such long and insightful reviews for the first couple of chapters. You've helped given me that initial push to get this story rolling and I hope you know how much it means to me.

I'm effectively crying at this point now. This story has been a huge part in my FF 'career' and it's painful to finish it... but painful in a good way. Every one of you have always been with this story and encouraging me to never give up. And although I'll be having my spin-offs to this story, there's no guarantee I'll hear from you again. And so, I say to everyone: Goodbye and thank you sooooo much in supporting me through this story. It never would've been completed without you. :,)


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